You have your umbrella, right...? (BSD x Reader Headcanon)
đ¸ Characters in this chapter: Kunikida, Oda, Ranpo, Chuuya, Tachihara, Atsushi, Sigma, Fyodor, Ango and Dazai.
đ¸ Slight spoilers, it is best to have seen season two to read the part about Ango; knowing who Fyodor and Sigma are is enough to be able to read their respective parts.
Hello, hello! I completely forgot to post this chapter here, so here it is ; the plot is simple : what do they do when it rains? I hope I have answered the question correctly, and I wish you all a good reading!
PS: some parts are happy and others a little less so, sorry if the transitions between the two are sometimes a little too abrupt despite my best efforts...! T^T
Kunikida
- If you love rain and love to feel the drops on your skin, forget it if you find yourself near Kunikida.
- "As long as I'm alive, you'll never be touched by a single drop of water! And you'll never catch a cold or anything else for that matter."
- That is what he told you loud and clear one day when it was barely raining; but that did not stop him from throwing every conceivable equipment against the rain at you (yellow raincoat, boots, hat, waterproof clothing, absurdly wide umbrella...).
- The result: no chance of a single drop reaching you, behind that veritable armor you wore like a burden. At least, that was what you thought until that famous day when you returned home, with Kunikida, of course.
- It was pouring down on Yokohama as you left the Agency, but Kunikida had planned ahead; he had taken a look at the weather forecast, and dressed you accordingly.
- Everything correlated with his predictions and his perfect schedule... That is, until a car drove past you, rolling into a huge puddle and drenching you both head to toe.
- Once the moment of shock had passed, you glanced at Kunikida, who, despite his own protections against the rain, was also looking like a drowned rat. And you could not help but burst out laughing at the incensed look on his face, which even his glasses could not hide.
- The end result: not only had you had to add new equipment to your already substantial paraphernalia... But it was not you, but Kunikida who had fallen ill and had to miss several days of work, under both you and Fukuzawa's demands.
- Some people had taken this âexcellent newsâ rather well, in fact... Perhaps a little too well, you thought, as you watched a certain brown-haired man covered in bandages snoring his head off at his desk. And with total impunity.
~
Oda
- A bit like Kunikida, he is constantly worried that you will catch a cold if you stand out in the rain, but he just makes sure you have a place under the umbrella.
- The problem is... There is not enough room for both of you, and Oda sees no point in buying one just for him. And even the one you gave him is constantly forgotten at home; the most important thing for him is that you are dry. He comes second, you come first.
- But you are not about to give up; seeing him in the rain makes you feel guilty, so you have come up with the perfect solution. From that day on, Oda carries you on his back every time it rains, and you hold the umbrella over your head, enjoying the familiar warmth and closeness of the young man. And, you can be sure... There is no chance of him knocking you over, so you can trust him and simply enjoy the moment.
- There is something magical and precious about sharing such a moment in the rain, is there not?
~
Ranpo
- With him, forget any notion of an umbrella or anything else that might help you fight the rain.
- He LOVES the rain; and he especially enjoys jumping in puddles like a little child. But, instead of being angry like a mother with her son... Why do not let yourself be tempted back into childhood, just for a moment?
- Without letting go of your hand, of course, he drags you into every puddle you come across on your way, and you do not miss a moment of the spectacle his eyes offer every time he sees a promising puddle: lit up with stars despite the gray, gloomy sky overhead.
- And so begins a real battle to see who will manage to be the least drenched... But also who will have the honor of taking care of the other when the cold comes.
~
Chuuya
- An umbrella? A jacket? What is the point if you have got a Chuuya nearby? Thanks to his WONDERFUL ability, you can now walk freely in a downpour without receiving a single drop of water, because Chuuya stops them immediately thanks to gravity control.
- Note the questioning, almost envious glances of the various people you meet, whether in the rain-swept street or even when entering a building; in every situation, you are as dry as if you had stayed indoors all day.
- If you like the rain but do not like getting wet... Chuuya is the man for you! Provided you do not let go of his hand, of course. And as long as you do not deliberately push him into puddles so that he comes out with his shoes and pants dripping with water, because he will not have time to activate his ability for this situation...
- The only slight drawback is that, should you venture to betray him in this way, you can say goodbye to your unstoppable protection against the drops; he lets go of your hand with a wry smile, while the driving rain turns you into a living mop in a fraction of a second.
- You wanted to play... And it was Chuuya's turn to play.
~
Tachihara
- Like so many times before, you found yourselves in front of a veritable curtain of rain as you left work; the downpour seemed to swallow up every object, every bit of tar, every piece of building.
- The only difference was a crucial one, to say the least; neither of you had thought to bring an umbrella, knowing that the weather had deteriorated at breakneck speed in the space of just one hour.
- Nor could you ask anyone to lend you an umbrella; no one was around. And, to make matters worse, the rain seemed to increase in intensity as the minutes passed... You did not live very far from your current position; but would you agree to brave the elements and end up even wetter than if you had fallen into a river?
- âAre you afraid of getting a few drops?â had finally asked Tachihara in a slightly mocking tone, as you weighed up the pros and cons of whether or not to dash out in the middle of the downpour. âYou're right; in case you melt,â he had finished, nudging you lightly with his shoulder.
- But he did not know you well enough if he thought you would not counterattack; as quickly as lightning, you had hatched a little plan in your head, to avenge this mini affront.
- "Are you kidding me? I was just waiting for you to find the courage to do it yourself; whoever gets home last eats the leftover fish in the fridge, you know the one that smells like death?â
- By the end of the countdown, Tachihara had dashed out into the rain, certain he would get there first and avoid eating that horror you had inadvertently bought together. And, last time I checked, he was predestined to get there first.
- Simply because you had not moved a hair, and had stayed well sheltered, while Tachihara disappeared in the middle of a veritable deluge. You had finally decided to wait a few more moments for the rain to stop, and if the weather did not get better you could perfectly well sleep on the spot; a sofa would do just fine for one night.
- You would have to be crazy to throw yourself into the pouring rain, after all. Especially for a piece of fish you had already thrown away long ago.
~
Atsushi
- He was traumatized by the past, when he was still at the orphanage and sometimes punished outside in the pouring rain. So there is no chance of staying in the rain for more than a few minutes, especially without an umbrella.
- So when the weather turns bad, you huddle under the umbrella you always carry with you, in the bag you almost never part with. You get home as quickly as possible, and the best part of the evening begins.
- The "special rain evening" is there: hot chocolate, heater, blankets and film. Not forgetting the cuddles that go with it, of course. The driving rain outside makes you feel like you are in another world, and your arms bring a much-needed sense of comfort and security to your favorite little tiger.
- A privilege reserved for you and you alone, of course.
~
Sigma
- In a casino, despite all the entertainment provided by the establishment's activities, leisure time is often limited for the managers - in this case you and Sigma. But when you finally get a chance to relax, you want those moments to be unforgettable and to remain etched in your memory forever.
- When it rains, you have been accustomed for some time now to going into a small glass-domed room with an unobstructed view of the cloud-sprinkled sky overhead.
- Here, you lie back on blankets and pillows, side by side, and watch the drops fall on the thick glass, separating you from the cold rain outside.
- Here, too, the feeling of being cut off from the world resonates within you like a gentle melody; the silence disturbed only by the rain falling on the glass is beautiful, soothing.
- What better way to enjoy a moment of respite than alone together, hand in hand, watching such a fascinating spectacle?
~
Fyodor
- Getting together with Fyodor is already quite a feat, simply because he is rarely, if ever, at home.
- When he is, you do your utmost to spend as much time with him as possible; you multiply your outings, hoping to see him smile, even a little, at your efforts.
- When it rains, you initially thought it would be good for your relationship; if you are both stuck at home, you are bound to spend some time together, are you not?
- Or so you thought, until you realized the reality. Fyodor spends most of the rain sitting on the windowsill, watching the drops trickle on the glass.
- He observes them with a neutral expression, as if hypnotized by their beauty...
- And you, for your part, can only wonder why.Â
- Why does he not look at you the way he looks at this beautiful, captivating rain?
~
Ango
- Rain is not exactly on the list of his favorite things. Not just for fear of ending up soaked from head to toe (and his files too) if he is caught in a sudden downpour, no.
- Because it reminds him of distant, melancholy memories, where past and present blend together, so seamlessly that tears threaten to flow, but he cannot quite manage it.
- This happens every time he leaves work and comes face to face with a curtain of rain. He sees two people walking towards him, sheltered under umbrellas; one is wrapped in bandages, the other has reddish hair. These figures smile as their gazes fall on Ango, and if he had let himself get too caught up in the memory, he might well have braved the fiercest of storms to join them.
- But when he blinks once too often, the silhouettes have disappeared, the downpour strengthening both in front of him and inside him.
- It is at this moment that, as if out of a dream, a new silhouette takes shape in the middle of the rain; an umbrella over their head, protecting them as best they can from the whims of the sky.
- He gives in, and finally sets off in the direction of this person, praying with all his might that they are real this time. He finally reaches the figure, whom he then takes in his arms, making sure he is not dreaming of waking memories yet again.
- This person is you. The person dearest to him now, who allowed him to heal the wounds of the past. Who allowed the rain, once so cruel, to wash away his memories from the shadow of death that covered them until now with each new downpour.
~
Dazai
- He has been walking in the rain for as long as he can remember, often with nothing over his head.
- Like Ango, contemplating the rain brings back memories of years long gone, and only increases his already deep melancholy with each new breath.
- But that was before he met you. You have brought an umbrella over his life, literally and figuratively; with you, he feels he can finally enjoy this rain as he should: contemplating its simplistic beauty, and putting aside the malaise that grips him far more often than he would like to admit.
- Walking through the drop-swept streets and under the heavy clouds no longer seems as destructive as it once did. He particularly enjoys holding your hand, while he holds the umbrella of the other, and appreciates the silence broken only by the lapping of the water and the sound of your serene breathing.
- He feels so happy he could dance, if only he could... But what is stopping him, after all?
- Dropping the umbrella, he gently draws you to him, clasping your hand in his and resting the other on your waist, as he slowly begins to turn, starting a calm, soothing waltz.
- The sound of the rain seems to fade into the distance, as he gazes into your eyes and realizes once again how happy he is to have met someone like you, who is able to soothe his melancholy in this way.
- And when you smile at him, despite the drops trickling down your cheeks, it is as if the sun has finally come out in the middle of an eternal storm.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Can we start again...? - Chapter 3 (Remus Lupin x Reader fic)
Summary : He had died right before her eyes. She had not been able to protect him. And now, it was her turn. She could feel her final hour approaching.
She could feel death coming for her.
But she did not want that. She wanted to make amends for her mistakesâall the ones she had made throughout her miserable life.
What if a second chance really did exist...?
â ď¸The writings contained in this book remain my sole and exclusive property, and any reproduction or use without my consent is therefore strictly prohibited. â ď¸
đşSpoilers ahead for those who are not up to date with the original work.
đşEnglish is not my first language.
The long scream she let out echoed, seemingly endlessly, through the enormous room where she now found herself.
She was practically hysterical. She could not stop screaming, and was on the verge of tearing her hair out as she clutched at it with all her might.
She could not stop. They were all right, every single one of them. She was a coward, a terrible coward, and they had all suffered because of her. HER fault. She was the one who had killed them. She was a horrible person.
She was disgusted with herself.
In her hysterical frenzy, however, she did not feel the arms that were struggling to hold her still, so she would not hurt herself further.
She heard voices, but she did not understand what they were saying. Were they the same voices as before? The ones that reminded her of her mistakes over and over again? And would they keep doing so until the end of time?
But no. She was beginning to make out a few fragments, and what vaguely sounded like her first name.
".../N)! (Y/N)!!"
Yes. It was indeed her name that the voices were screaming. Why? What did they want? To make her suffer? To hurt her?
"Let me go...! Let me go...!"
But the voices would not go away. No matter how hard she tried, they would not leave.
"(Y/N)!!" the voice continued. "Wake up, for Godâs sake!!"
She then opened her eyes suddenly, freezing in the process, taking the people holding her down on the mattress by surprise.
Through her blurred vision, she could only make out the outlines of faces staring intently at her. There were two with dark hair, one of whom wore glasses, as well as one with chestnut hair and finally a blond. A brief moment passed, during which (Y/N) blinked several times. Her vision had almost returned to normal, and she could make out the people surrounding her.
All four of them looked worried, exchanging furtive glances.
And, before she could stop herself, a cry of astonishment finally escaped her lips.
The boy holding her by the shoulders could not have been more than sixteen, just like the other three.
But more than anything, it was his face that caught her attention.
âS-SiriusâŚ?â
She could not believe it. Sirius was there, right in front of her, and she could feel his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head toward the other boys and was stunned to see who they were: James, Peter, and⌠Remus.
âAre you okay?â Remus asked in his usual calm voice, though a hint of concern still shone through.
She was stunned. It really was them; they were truly standing right in front of her. They no longer had that disdainful look on their faces, and they were speaking to her as one would speak to a dear friend.
"A... Are you... real...?" she replied in a tiny voice.
The teenagers looked at each other in confusion, debating whether she was serious or not.
âUm... Yes? Of course we're real! Are you sure you're okay?â
It was James who had just spoken; Sirius stepped away from her to give her some breathing room, now that she had calmed down.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Remus heading toward the back of the room they were in. It looked exactly like the Hogwarts infirmary, just as she remembered it.
She then stood up abruptly, startling Sirius.
"Iâm... Where am I...?"
Her question made the three remaining boys look at each other again, wondering what was wrong with her. Had she hit her head a little too hard...?
âWell⌠at Hogwarts⌠A school for wizards and witches⌠(Y/N)? Are you really sure youâre okay?â
But the girl did not answer. Instead, she threw herself at Sirius, hugging him tightly with her trembling arms.
Then, under everyoneâs stunned gaze, she suddenly began to cry like a baby. Tears streamed down her tired cheeks, and her sobs grew louder and louder, punctuated by whimpers.
Sirius, who still did not understand what was happening, nevertheless wrapped his arms around (Y/N), holding her close to his chest. He looked at his friends, confused.
What was happening to their friend...? Why was she crying like that?
They did not have a chance to discuss the matter further, as they were interrupted by Remusâs return, accompanied by the nurse, Mrs. Pomfresh.
âWhatâs going on here? Why on earth is this girl crying like that? What have you done to her, boys?â
âWe didn't do anything!â James protested. âShe suddenly woke up screaming, asking where she was, and then she started crying...!â
Mrs. Pomfresh was skeptical, but this time she gave the infamous Marauders the benefit of the doubt.
"All right, step aside. Iâll see whatâs wrong."
But the young woman did not want to let go of Sirius. As soon as he moved away, she started crying even harder. So the brunet ended up sitting next to the girl he considered his little sister, still holding her in his arms.
Her crying subsided after several long minutes of screaming and tears, and silence finally fell over the infirmary. Mrs. Pomfresh then handed a small vial to (Y/N), who swallowed the contents as best she could.
The potion tasted awful, but it made her relax almost immediately. She then took in her surroundings; everyone was looking at her with concern, and she suddenly felt a little ashamed, though she did not understand why.
âWell, it looks like sheâs over it. Let her rest, boys, and get back to class!â said the nurse, in a voice that brooked no argument.
The boys reluctantly stepped away from the bed, leaving their friend to rest so she could regain her strength. But she did not want them to leave. They looked so real, and they were finally by her side. She did not want this dream to end.
What if, the very moment they walked through that door, they disappeared again?
What if she found herself all alone once more?
But she could not stop her eyes from closing on their own. She could only watch the boys leave the infirmary, moving inexorably away from her. Just as they had done in the pastâwhich had been entirely her fault.
Sleep was coming for her, and she could do nothing but close her eyes. Plunging once again into her deepest thoughts. And her darkest ones.
-----------------------------------
She woke up hours later, startled by a nightmare, but no one was in the infirmary.
She thus had time to take in her surroundings.
Where was she? At first glance, at Hogwarts. She remembered the infirmary very well, for she had been there hundreds of times. Mainly because of the pranks her Marauder friends played, which often went terribly wrong.
But was Hogwarts not supposed to have been destroyed in the war? And why had her body reverted to how it looked years ago, when she was still a student?
An answer came to mind, one that seemed completely crazy at first. But, upon reflection, she could not find any other explanation.
Had she traveled back in time? Without meaning to, had she used one of those famous âtime-turning watchesâ? Yet she had never owned one....
Was it a spell an enemy had cast on her? Or had she died, and was she seeing her life flash before her eyes? She had no idea.
The fact remained, however, that the evidence was there. The Marauders were very much alive, and she had been able to speak to them. She had been able to see them all again.
And Lily, too. Her former best friend had also come to visit her, and (Y/N) had not been able to hold back her tears for the second time in a few hours.
Once the âreunionâ was over, the two girls headed toward their dormitory. Well, Lily had actually dragged (Y/N) to their shared dormitory, since the young woman still seemed a bit dazed. And that did not escape the redheadâs notice.
âAre you sure youâre okay, (Y/N)?â Lily asked again. âThose boys, theyâre impossible! They really crossed the line this time! You could have died!â
âWhat do you meanâŚ? What happenedâŚ?â
Lily stopped abruptly, looking at her friend with a frown.
âYou donât remember?â
(Y/N) shook her head, making Lily sigh.
âYou fell down the stairs after yet another prank from your âfriends,ââ she replied, mimicking quotation marks with her fingers on the word âfriends.â
This information triggered something in (Y/N)âs mind. She suddenly remembered having already experienced this event, but years ago. She and the Marauders had set out to play a prank on Rusard, but the prank had gone wrong and (Y/N) had ended up tumbling down the stairs.
And, of course, it had all ended in the infirmary. Meanwhile, the Marauders had been kindly invited to yet another hour of detention.
She remembered it now as if it were yesterday. But was that not actually the caseâŚ? Had the accident not happened the day before, or at least the day before today? The only problem was figuring out exactly when âtodayâ was.
(Y/N) had not had much time to think before her best friend dragged her along, passing through the portrait of the Fat Lady.
âEnough of thatâyouâd better hurry if you want time to wash up! Curfewâs almost here.â
(Y/N) found herself back in her old bedroom, just as it had been during her sixth year. Confused, the girl grabbed some clean clothes and headed toward the bathroom. If she remembered correctly, it should be at the end of... this hallway.
And bingo, she arrived in a room where a huge bathtub sat, along with a sink.
She set her clean clothes on a chair and slowly began to undress.
She did not understand a thing. What had happened to her, between the moment that Death Eater had killed her and the moment she had woken up in this younger body?
She could not find an answerâor at least one that seemed plausible to her.
Turning her head toward the mirror on her left, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Not a single wrinkle, and not a single gray hair. She had indeed regained the appearance she had had roughly twenty years ago.
Back when she was still a carefree sixteen-year-old girl.
Something caught her eye, however, behind her. Turning to get a full view, looking over her shoulder, she could not suppress a cry of astonishment, which was choked in her throat.
She knew then that none of this was a dream.
Covering her entire back, from between her shoulder blades to the small of her back, a long, thin scar ran across her bare skin, along her spine.
A lightning-shaped scar.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Summary : He had died right before her eyes. She had not been able to protect him. And now, it was her turn. She could feel her final hour approaching.
She could feel death coming for her.
But she did not want that. She wanted to make amends for her mistakesâall the ones she had made throughout her miserable life.
What if a second chance really did exist...?
-> Fluff, angst, time travel, healing, female reader.
Can we start again...? - Chapter 2 (Remus Lupin x Reader fic)
Summary : He had died right before her eyes. She had not been able to protect him. And now, it was her turn. She could feel her final hour approaching.
She could feel death coming for her.
But she did not want that. She wanted to make amends for her mistakesâall the ones she had made throughout her miserable life.
What if a second chance really did exist...?
â ď¸Those writings remain my sole and exclusive property, and any reproduction or use without my consent is therefore strictly prohibited. â ď¸
đşSpoilers ahead for those who are not up to date with the original work.
đşEnglish is not my first language.
(Y/N) had the sensationâboth gentle and frighteningâthat she was floating. She felt good, at peace. The intense pain she had felt until now was gone.
As if it had vanished into thin air.
She was not thinking about anything anymore, as if she had been cleansed of all sorrow. Through her closed eyelids, no light was visible. Should she open them, at the risk of seeing this moment disappear forever?
She would have liked to stay like this for eternity, as if asleep, with no thoughts to come and torment her again. Her head was empty, empty of sounds. Of all those voices jostling to torment her.
Could she not stay like this? Forever?
Just as these gentle thoughts were pulling her further and further into an eternal, dreamless rest, a face appeared to her. And not just any face: his.
Remus.
If she stayed here, would she be able to see him again?
With all the courage she still possessed, she forced herself to open her eyes, to pull herself out of this languid torpor.
She saw nothing at all. Everything was black, so much so that she wondered if she had actually opened her eyes. But when she looked toward where her hands and body should be, she could make them out very clearly nonetheless.
She looked around her, but nothing else was visible. She was all alone in this immense, ink-black sea. Once again.
She felt panic gradually taking hold of her. Where had she ended up? And, more importantly, where was the exit? Fear began to engulf her entirely.
She began to run. Frantically searching for the exit, as cold sweat began to trickle slowly down her back. The beats of her frightened and exhausted heart echoed in her ears, creating a kind of deafening buzz. As she ran, she remembered she had a wand, which could surely provide her with a source of light. She felt her pockets, but they were empty.
She continued running, desperate and gradually succumbing to terror. To find someone, anyoneâthat was all she wanted. All she had ever wanted.
She did not know how long she had been running like this, but her legs grew heavier and heavier, and her heart, battered by panic and exertion, begged for mercy. She had not even noticed her wet cheeks, streaked with tears.
Her legs finally gave out, and she fell to the ground. Or what seemed to be the ground, for she could not tell right from left, up from down in this pitch-black darkness. Only her body remained, lost in this vastness. Alone. Again. Again.
Again.
She caught herself calling out every name she knew, shouting themâespecially those of her friendsâbut they had been gone for a long time, had they not?
She began to sob even harder. Alone....
Suddenly, she lifted her head. A light had just appeared in the distance, like a lighthouse in a storm. Galvanized by this sudden appearance, she stumbled to her feet, her legs trembling, and resumed her run.
The light was getting closer. She kept going with the strength of desperation.
She was almost there.
Then she saw it: a figure stood in the halo of light, standing still, motionless, with its back to her.
(Y/N) slowed down, now walking hesitantly. She thought she recognized the person, but she was not sure. She was only a few meters away when the figure finally turned around. (Y/N)âs breath caught in her throat. She had not been mistaken.
Before her wide-eyed gaze stood her best friend, Lily. Just as she had been right before her death, with her beautiful green eyes and gorgeous red hair. But one detail did not match the image (Y/N) had kept of her: her expression.
Her gaze cast a sinister glow over her face; her eyebrows were furrowed, her mouth tight, and her nose turned up in a look of disdain. Her eyes, once so gentle, now shot her a blood-curdling glare. (Y/N) nevertheless ventured to make contact, other than through that murderous gaze.
âL⌠Lily?â she called out in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
Her voice sounded strange to her, as if it were not her own. Since when had she spoken with such fear?
âHow dare you say my name? How dare you speak to me?!â Lily roaredâor at least, the one who looked like her. âYou abandoned us, me and all the others! How dare you?!â she repeated.
(Y/N) took a step back, as if she had just been slapped. Which was not far from the truth. How was this possible? Lily, her Lily, who was so kind...
"I... I didnât..."
"Shut up! Just shut up!!" Lily cut her off. "Look what youâve done to us! Itâs all your fault!!"
(Y/N) felt her legs go weak, and the tears welling up again.
âYou can cry, but it wonât change anything, you know!â continued the apparition, in a deep, accusatory voice that (Y/N) did not recognize and that frightened her. âMy whole lifeâno, OUR lifeâhas been ruined! And because of whom? A crybaby barely capable of defending herself, and too cowardly to face reality head-on! Always making excuses for yourself!"
(Y/N), now on the ground, tried in vain to cover her ears so she would not have to hear the venom-laced accusations anymore, but it was useless: for some reason she could not explain, she could still hear them loud and clear.
âNow, look! Harry doesnât have his parents anymore; he never knew what it meant to have a family! And to think you were supposed to be his godmother! Even Sirius, who was in prison, took better care of him than you did! Why didnât you help him? WHY??" she finished, screaming.
The young woman on the ground was crying profusely, her hands over her ears and her body curled up pitifully.
"I... I couldnât..."
âDonât mock me! All those years you were living the good life, you had plenty of time to adopt Harry! But of course, coward that you are, it never crossed your mind, did it?â she said sarcastically, her tone sharp and falsely ironic. "But no matter what excuses you make, it wonât change anything! Weâre all dead! Because of you!" she screamed.
âIâm so sorryâŚâ (Y/N) moaned, choked by the sobs shaking her body.
âLook at this poor little thing!â
The voice that had just spoken was nothing like Lilyâs high-pitched one. This one was much deeper. When (Y/N) looked up, she let out a sob of pain.
In front of her, right next to her âbest friend,â stood another person who had also been so very important to her: Sirius. And right behind him, James and Peter. They were all staring at her, as if she had suddenly turned into a pesky insect.
âItâs all your fault!â squeaked Peter in his high-pitched voice.
âEverything!â chimed in James, pointing at her. âWe could have lived in peaceâLily, me, and everyone elseâbut you had to come along and ruin everything!â
(Y/N) felt hysteria gradually taking hold of her body. Or was it madness...? In any case, she began screaming at the top of her lungs, to whoever would listen.
âI didnât mean to! I swear!â she gasped, her voice drowned out by sobs. âI'm so sorry!â she repeated.
âYou didn't mean to? What about Remus, then? He opened his heart to you, he confided his greatest and darkest secret to you, and all you could think to do was run away? If you were truly sorry, you should have apologized the moment you rejected him! Look where your cowardice has led you!"
The four of them then stepped back, and Heather swore she felt her heart stop beating for a moment, breathless and eyes wide with horror. Lying there on the ink-black floor, Remus stared at her, his eyes empty and lifeless, accusatory. His lips began to move, however.
âLook what youâve done to me⌠Youâre happy that Tonks is dead, arenât you?â
The deathly silence that followed was suddenly shattered by the long, blood-curdling scream of a young girl just as broken.
A long, blood-curdling scream.
Was this her punishment...?
But, thinking back on it, was this not the fitting punishment for someone who had run away her whole life? To face her sins for eternity...?
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Can we start again...? - Chapter 1 (Remus Lupin x Reader fic)
Summary : He had died right before her eyes. She had not been able to protect him. And now, it was her turn. She could feel her final hour approaching.
She could feel death coming for her.
But she did not want that. She wanted to make amends for her mistakesâall the ones she had made throughout her miserable life.
What if a second chance really did exist...?
â ď¸Those writings remain my sole and exclusive property, and any reproduction or use without my consent is therefore strictly prohibited. â ď¸
đşSpoilers ahead for those who are not up to date with the original work.
đşEnglish is not my first language.
Impossible.
She could not believe that what she was seeing was real.
A dream. A bad dream. She was sure she would wake up any moment now.
Yet the sharp pain she felt ruled out that possibility. It was all realâsadly real.
She tried to get up, pushing herself up on her forearms, but her body, drained of all energy, would not respond. She lay there, on the hard, cold stone floor of the school where she had had so many good times, which were now and forever memories she would never forget for anything in the world. Hogwarts.
She could only watch, helpless, as the man she had always secretly loved was murdered. She saw the life drain from his eyes the moment he hit the ground with a thud, like a rag doll, and it froze her in place. She felt as though her heart had been ripped out, and someone was taking pleasure in jabbing rusty needles into it. She was in pain, so much pain....
And she could not do anything. Nothing at all. She wanted to scream, but all that came out of her dry, aching mouth was a terrible groan, straight from the afterlife. Pathetic. Just like she was right now.
Pathetic. That word suited her well.
Now, the murderer of her one and only love was closing in on her dangerously. She was more or less aware of it, but she could not move anyway. And above all, she did not want to. She did not want to anymore. Not when HE was no longer there to illuminate her dark life with rare flashes of light, with his perfect smiles, even if they were not meant for her. She did not care. She needed to see them.
What had she done with her life? The answer was easy, and could be summed up in a few words: not much.
Her whole life had been nothing but running away and regrets.
True, she came from a small, unremarkable Muggle familyâloving and proud of her, their daughter, who had been given the gift of magic, as well as the chance to study at one of the most prestigious schools in the field.
True, she HAD had wonderful friends. Lily Evans and James Potter, her best friends; Sirius Black, the one who came closest to her definition of a big brother; Peter Pettigrew, whom she had truly loved, despite everything. And then there was Remus.
Remus Lupin.
She never would have thought she would say this in her life, because it was too clichĂŠ for her taste, but she had fallen in love with him instantly. The moment she laid eyes on him that day on the train, on the first day of her first year at school, she knew she would love him until the end. Until her own death.
She had not been wrong.
And so, there she was. More than two decades later, she was still there, looking at him as if he were the only man on earth. They had lost touch, much to her dismay.
When they were younger, back when they were still at Hogwartsâstudying at the timeâshe had thought she was getting closer to him, not just as friends, but as something else, something more, that she did not dare describe. She had thought she saw the same feeling in Remusâs eyes, but she had never been truly sure.
Still, he must have felt close to her, very close, to the point of revealing his darkest secret to her as well.
She had not seen it coming. Compared to the other Marauders, she had never noticed anything. Sure, she had seen the scars, the dark circles under his eyes; but she had never tried to find out more. What a poor friend she had been.
But that was not the worst part. One day, Remus had asked to speak with her alone, and she had eagerly agreed, no doubt expecting a passionate confession from the brunet. She had not seen it coming. She had expected anything but THAT.
The news had blown her away. She, who had been expecting a beautiful confession worthy of the greatest Muggle romance movies, had been treated to a confession straight out of a horror film.
A werewolf. Those bloodthirsty beasts that howl at the moon and do not hesitate to kill for food, and to turn innocent victims into monsters. At least, that was what she had read and seen in books and movies, Muggle or otherwise.
She had been terrified. She had run away. And decided never to get too close to him again. And it had broken her heartâand his, too. She knew it. She could see the looks of pure sadness he sent her way. And she, coward that she was, always looked away.
Ever since that day, she had hung out with Lily all the time and had given up her place among the Marauders. She did talk to them from time to time, as they passed in a hallway, but that was all. She could tell they were angry with her. And she had gradually cut ties with them. How she blamed herself. Even today.
The worst mistake of her entire life.
Then, several years later, she saw him again. She had joined the fight against Voldemort, the Order of the Phoenix, emerging from several years of sickly lethargy, mired in the darkness of her solitude.
He was just as handsome as ever, still with the same endearing personality she had known before. He just had a lot more scars, more dark circles under his eyes, which made him look older than he really was. But he still had that gorgeous caramel-colored hair she loved so much, and those green eyes she could have drowned in if she had let herself.
When he spotted her, he smiled at her, which made the heart of the young girl she still was deep down beat faster. She had wanted to speak to him, to say something, anything, but she had given up once again, not yet feeling ready to face the ghosts of her past actions and their consequences.
All those regrets gnawed at her whole being, clinging to her skin and suffocating her, refusing to let go, itching like sandpaper. She had felt like throwing upâat herself and her cowardice.
She had turned on her heel, not without returning his smile, though it looked more like a tense grimace than anything else. She was disgusted with herself.
Then it all started over. Again.
She, who had just glimpsed a glimmer of light in the raging sea where she had been drowning for so longâsince the deaths of James and Lily, and Peterâs supposed death, as well as Siriusâs imprisonment; she, who had finally found again the people who mattered to herâeverything collapsed just as suddenly as it had that night. Sirius died, Peter had been identified as a traitor and was dead as well. And Remus...
He had gotten married and had a child. With a young woman full of life, charming, beautiful, and smiling, and who, above all, had accepted him as he was, with his flaws and his illness. She had succeeded so remarkably well, where Heather had given up before even starting to fight; which was far worse than losing.
She had lost him.
(Y/N) had lost Remus, and this time for good. Because of her cowardice. As always. To say she was envious of that woman would be an understatement. She was consumed by jealousy.
Then came that terrible day. Today. The war.
Tonks, Remusâs wife, had been killed right before the werewolf and Heatherâs eyes just seconds earlier. Then, shortly after, even though she herself had been seriously wounded, HE had died.
Dead.
(Y/N) had watched him fall slowly to the ground, as if time had stopped. But it was not just a figure of speech. Time had truly stopped the moment Remusâs life left his body.
She was still staring at his lifeless body when her tormentor stopped just inches from her face. She sawâmore than feltâa foot violently strike her face. She was thrown a short distance before coming to a stop, never taking her eyes off Remusâs body.
Now, the man above her had drawn his wand and was pointing it straight at her. But she did not care in the slightest. All she wanted at that moment was for it to be over. She had had enough. Of everything. But most of all, of herself.
Then, in a final thought, as the Death Eater uttered the simple phrase that would soon be her undoing, she found herself praying.
âIf I could start all over again.... Then I promise Iâll never run away again.... I promise Iâll be brave...â
With a flash of green light, everything went black.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Do you know Candy Crush? (Ranpo, Kunikida, Kenji, Oda, Akutagawa, Yosano, Atsushi, Chuuya & Dazai)
... Can you repeat what you just said? (Part 1 - Dazai, Kunikida, Chuuya, Ranpo, Oda, Ango, Atsushi, Sigma & Fukuzawa ; Part 2 - Mori, Hirotsu & KĂ´yĂ´)
At the haunted house with BSD's characters (Part 1 - Ranpo, Kunikida, Yosano, Akutagawa & Oda ; Part 2 - Kenji, Chuuya, Atsushi & Dazai)
Hello lovely!! I was wondering (if ur still posting that is) if you could do a fluff scenario between the character and reader, titled âQuiet Eveningsâ. Basically, the character comes home from a rougher-than-usual day at work to the typical, domestic sight of their shared apartment with their partner. Reader is finishing up dinner, when the character gently wraps their arms around their waist from behind, and burying their face in their loverâs shoulder/neck/hair. All the reader has to do for a moment is pay attention to (characterâs) expression to know what they need, and softly ask âquiet evening tonight?â and character doesnât hesitate to nod. Twenty minutes later, theyâreâŚidk, doing something cute. Watching a movie, reading, eating dinner, bathing or drying each others hair, massage, you pick depends my on what you think the character would like. I hope youâre doing well and continue to post amazing content <333
Quiet evenings (BSD x Reader Headcanon)
đ¸ Characters in this chapter : Dazai & Chuuya.
đ¸ Spoils : none!
A/N : Hello everyone, especially you, and thank you so much for this request!
First of all, I would like to apologize to the person who asked me this for the delay in writing it. Without going into details, itâs still a health issue, but also because I havenât been writing about BSD for a while now⌠So this will be the second-to-last request Iâll make on this topicâIâm sorry about that! If you see any mention that Iâm still accepting requests in any of my previous BSD chapters, thatâs no longer the case (as of today, July 16, 2026). I had moved back into Harry Potter, and I am taking requests for this fandom, if you want!
Do not hesitate to tell me if you liked, and thank you again for the request!!
I hope you enjoy reading this <3
Dazai
⢠You were fully occupied with finishing up the final preparations for dinner, despite the fatigue that had built up during your workday. You had spent a long time considering ordering a ready-made meal from your usual restaurant, but you had decided that, this time, cooking might allow you to take your mind off work.
⢠You heard the front door open a few seconds after you finished making the curry rice that you were going to wolf down that eveningâit looked so appetizing. Footsteps came toward you, slowly, and you were already starting to have your doubts.
⢠Your boyfriend then appeared in the small kitchen of your apartment, just as you were taking out the chopsticks and glasses. Out of the corner of your eye, you could clearly see that the newcomer had forgotten to take off his shoes; you knew right away that the day had not been easy for Dazai either, though the work itself was not necessarily the cause of his exhaustion. In your humble opinion, it was more likely all the thoughtsâand everything that went along with themâthat were wearing your boyfriend down and weighing on his mind, just as they often had before.
⢠Unsurprisingly, he approached you with slow steps, his expression unreadable; then he wrapped his arms around your waist, burying his face in your neck, breathing in deeply and sighing to his heartâs content, as if trying to let go of all the bad things that had built up during the dayâhis clownish side having clearly gone on vacation for that evening.
⢠ââŚA quiet evening, today?â you asked in a soft voice, a question to which Dazai replied with a simple nod, making you smile bitterly. You did not like seeing him like that, to be sure, but you also knew that, often, the weight of lifeâalong with its problemsâwould sometimes come crashing down on people without warning, changing their perspective on the lives they were leading. It happened to you too, just like everyone else; the main thing was not to let yourself be completely swallowed up by those awful feelings, even if that was easier said than done, of course.
⢠With Dazaiâs past gnawing at him and your own worries, it was not uncommon for moments like this, when your spirits were low, to occur from time to time; so you had instituted what you now called âquiet evenings,â and thatâs what you did that evening.
⢠Settled on the couch in your small apartment, you had quietly eaten the curry rice you had just prepared, curled up together in front of a relaxing TV show that was currently airing a documentary on rivers around the world.
⢠It was while watching this that you had an idea.
⢠âWhat if we went for a walk by the river after dinner? No one will be out at a time like this; weâll have the place to ourselves.â
⢠Dazai did not answer right away, continuing to eat the contents of his bowl while thinking deeplyâyou could tell. After a few moments, he nodded again, muttering an affirmative reply, to which you responded with a smile, before rushing to grab your coats, knowing that the temperature by the water would be a little cooler.
⢠A few minutes later, the two of you were strolling peacefully along the riverbank, hand in hand, without saying a word; yet you did not need to say anything to appreciate this momentâso simple, and yet so memorableâand you knew it deep down.
⢠After walking a few meters at a soothing pace, you finally sat down on a bench. Dazai rested his head on your shoulder and absentmindedly watched the city lights reflecting off the water, seeming to be feeling a little better. A brief silence fell around you before Dazai suddenly spoke, almost in a whisper.
⢠ââŚthank you.â
⢠Gently squeezing his hand, you replied in the same tone.
⢠âNo problem. Letâs do this again whenever you want.â
~
Chuuya
⢠As was often the case, he was coming home stressed and exhausted, with night having already fallen several hours earlier. But he had to stay optimistic: at least he had been able to go home that day (or rather, that night), instead of spending yet more days at work.
⢠He pushed open the door to his apartment carefully, so as not to make a sound. Taking off his shoes, removing his coat and hat, and turning on the light were all done in complete silence, so as not to wake a certain someone.
⢠That person was, of course, you, who had to get up very early the next morning to go to your own job. And Chuuya, being the good boyfriend and roommate that he was, certainly did not want to deprive you of that wonderful and essential thing called sleep.
⢠He tiptoed through the apartment, deciding to take a quick shower and go to bed right away. So thatâs what he did, as quietly as possible, and emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later in his pajamas, a towel wrapped around his neck to catch the water dripping from his still-wet hair.
⢠He was about to open the kitchen door, wanting to have a drink before going to sleep (maybe something made from fermented grapes, who knows...?), when he came face-to-face with someone who nearly made him jump out of his skinâif it were not for his mafia-sharp reflexes. He calmed down once he recognized the person in question.
⢠You had narrowly escaped a wrestling move, you knew that; but managing to scare Chuuyaâwho was always (most of the time, or rather, every now and then...) so in control of himself and his reactionsâwas your little guilty pleasure, you had to admit. But, to make up for it, you had already set everything up while he was taking a shower.
⢠As was often the case, you had not been able to fall asleep before your boyfriend arrived, so you had waited patiently for him well past midnight, knowing he was supposed to come back todayâafter nearly two days without seeing him and a recent business trip that had lasted several weeks.
⢠Being quite exhausted, Chuuya simply sighed with relief at your usual antics, flashing a smile as he told you not to do it againâwhich, of course, you had no intention of doing.
⢠For the moment, however, you nodded with a big, innocent smile, and Chuuya was not fooled, though he let it slide with a gentle shake of his head. He was, however, pleasantly surprised when you handed him a glass containing a liquid with a magnificent purplish-red colorâwine, of course, from your shared and personal stashâwhich he hastened to taste, sitting down on one of the bar stools surrounding the kitchen island to do so.
⢠This was not the first time you had shared this kind of little moment; whenever you or Chuuya came home late and exhausted from work, you often made it a tradition to have a small glass of wine together, no matter how late it was. It was a magical moment, one that belonged to the two of you, that made you appreciate every second of each otherâs presence. However, it took Chuuya a few minutes to realize that something was off this time.
⢠You had not poured yourself a glass, which was unusual. Since he was tired, his brain was working much slower than usual, but he finally asked you, âWhy didnât you pour yourself some wine?â
⢠You answered that question quickly, with a big smile and that innocent look only you could pull off: âIt would be bad for the baby.â
⢠Chuuya simply nodded, taking a sip of his precious tea. It was true; alcohol was very dangerous for pregnanâ
⢠The very next second, he spat out everything in his mouth, nearly choking on the drink he loved so much⌠and which was horribly expensive, by the way. But that was not what caught his attention at that moment.
â˘âW-what do you mean, âit would be bad for the babyâŚ?ââ stammered the poor young man, wiping his face with the sleeve of his pajamas, looking at you as if a second head had suddenly sprouted on your body.
⢠As for you, you were content to keep smiling, clearly satisfied with how you had managed to deliver this important announcement, one that had been weighing on your mind for several days already. You already knew that Chuuya wanted to have children someday, and so did you; it had simply happened a little sooner than expected⌠You just hoped this news would not put a damper on this pleasant evening, which had been calm and relaxingâto a certain extent.
⢠Something happened, however, that you had not anticipated at all. Your boyfriendâs eyesâwhich had been staring at you for several minutes now without moving or saying a wordâhad just started to well up, as crazy as that might seem; one of the rare times this had ever happened, to be honest. Perhaps fatigue and alcohol had something to do with it.
⢠âI⌠Is that trueâŚ?â he asked, unwilling to believe it, in case it was just a joke. But you were not cruel enough to tell him a story like that only to have it turn out to be false.
⢠Just as you noddedâonce again overcome by the anxiety of the past few days despite your smileâChuuya stood up from his chair, staggering slightly, overcome by exhaustion and surely by the glass of wine he had just downed. He then came over and pulled you into his arms, burying his face in your neck, but you were not fooled.
⢠ââŚYou know, Chuuya, itâs okay to cry every once in a while,â you said in a soft but slightly teasing voice, unable to help yourself.
⢠âIâm not crying,â the young man simply mumbled, his voice slightly muffled by your T-shirt.
⢠Then, after taking a deep breath...
⢠ââŚthis is the most wonderful, relaxing evening of my life.â
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
A/N : a little moment of tenderness... But also of worry, especially for a certain Bill. Damn hormones.
Words : ~1,5k.
Fluff, pregnancy, family moment, reader is pregnant, reader is female.
âMom, Mom! Can I have a taste?â asked a little boy with bright red hair and a face covered in freckles the same color.
(Y/N), who was currently baking a cake using a brand-new recipe her mother-in-law, Molly Weasley, had given her, smiled as best she could, despite the nausea she was feeling.
âI donât know if itâs going to taste good,â she told her firstborn as she handed him a spoonful of cake batter, hoping she had done Mollyâs recipe justice.
The little boy, named Arthur, shoved the spoon into his mouth as his mother watched expectantly. However, the childâs face quickly contorted into an involuntary grimace that said it all.
âItâs not goodâŚ?â asked (Y/N) as she stroked her belly, terribly disappointed in herself. âBut I didnât forget anythingâI checked everything carefullyâŚâ
âNo, itâs very goodâŚ!â the little boy tried to say in as confident a voice as possible, but the âdamageâ had already been done, unfortunately and quite against his will.
(Y/N) began to feel her eyes sting, and, unable to help herself, she began to cry silently, discreet yet heavy tears rolling down her cheeks. She tried to hide it from her son, but he was decidedly just as observant as his father.
But not as brave, at least for the moment, it seemed.
No sooner had little Arthur noticed that his mother had started crying for no real reason than he rushed toward the garden, bursting outside like a human bomb, running toward a very specific spot.
There, busy getting rid of the gnomes that had (once again) invaded part of the garden, was Bill Weasley, the boyâs father, who was undoubtedly about to have the scare of his life.
He heard little footsteps approaching him at full speed, causing him to turn around; he was about to greet his son with a huge smile, as usual. However, upon seeing the terrified look on Arthurâs face, Bill felt his own face go completely pale.
All the more so when the little boy literally begged his father to come with him, because âsomething was happening to Mom.â Bill never would have believed he could be overcome by as much terror as he had been during the still-recent and infamous Battle of Hogwarts, but that was indeed the case now; leaving the remaining gnomes behind him, Bill ran toward the house, his son in his arms, fear twisting his stomach.
It had now been a few weeks since his wife, (Y/N), had become pregnant with their second child. It was not time for her to give birth yet, far from it, so what could possibly be happening that was so terrible that his son had started crying his heart out and had rushed over to get him like that?
â(Y/N)!!â Bill exclaimed as he entered the little cottage, expecting the worst, his wand drawn. âWhatâs going on?â
He stormed into the kitchen like a whirlwind, startling his wife, who was already there. She seemed to be crying her eyes out, which worried Bill even more.
He set his son down on the floor, though the boy stayed close to him, clearly worried about his mother as well. Bill walked over to (Y/N), who was trying to hide her face behind her hands, though she could not suppress the sounds of her sobs, which gave her away instantly.
The young man gently took his wife in his arms, being careful not to press against her stomach. He did his best to try to comfort her, without much success, knowing that he did not even know why she was crying in the first place. She did not seem to have any injuries or anything like that, which raised even more questions.
âArthur, what happened?â Bill finally asked, after getting no response from (Y/N)... other than uncontrollable sobbing.
The little boy, who was crying too, recounted what little he knew.
âI was helping Mom bake a cake, and she let me taste the batter... I made a face, and she suddenly started crying...! Did I do something really wrong...?â he asked anxiously, tears streaming down his little freckled cheeks.
It was at that moment that Bill finally understood what must surely be happening, and instantly felt very foolish. He had heardâespecially from his motherâabout the hormonal fluctuations some pregnant women can experience. But, knowing that (Y/N) had handled her first pregnancy quite well, and that there had been no such issues during this one, Bill had simply assumed that his wife would be spared one more annoying symptom for all her future pregnanciesâespecially if the couple decided to have a second child.
How could pregnancies be so different from one child to the next...? Bill considered himself fairly well-informed on the subject, but he never could have imagined that an unexpected turn of events like this could still happen, even though, for Arthur, everything had gone like a dream.
He had never seen his wife cry like that, not even during the war a few years earlier. Just how powerful were those hormones, exactly...?
âDad? Is Mom okayâŚ?â a little voice suddenly asked from behind him.
Bill turned to his son, thinking hard about what to do next. (Y/N) finally managed to tell him it was nothing, in a disjointed tone punctuated by sobs, but he wanted to be certain.
âI think so, but weâll check just to be sure.â
He helped his wifeâwhose sobbing had subsided slightlyâlie down on the couch, then quickly wrote a letter, which he sent to the nearest clinic via the family owl, to make sure it really was not anything serious. He then did his best to calm both (Y/N) and Arthur, succeeding with the latter, who came and sat silently on one of the chairs next to the couch, still waiting for an explanation.
Bill was finally able to ask his wife questions, after several more minutes, and after working hard to dry her tears.
âI⌠I donât even know why Iâm crying so much,â the young woman murmured, gently caressing her belly with one hand and her husbandâs hand with the other. âArthur just made it clear that he didnât like what I made⌠And here we are.â
âItâs probably because of the pregnancy,â Bill reassured her, affectionately running his hand over (Y/N)âs cheek. âMom had already warned me about this with Arthur⌠Even though it never happened. Until today.â
Through the few tears still glistening in her eyes, (Y/N) managed to smile as best she could.
âAt least itâs not that serious if it really is because of hormones,â she whispered in Billâs ear so their little boy would not hear. âIâm sorry for worrying you both,â she continued more clearly, as her son approached her again, a look of concern still on his face.
âSo itâs my faultâŚ?â he asked in a very small voice. âIâm sorry I didnât like your cake, MomâŚâ
Bill came over and took his son in his arms, setting him on his lap as he slowly stroked the little boyâs red hair, just like his own.
âNot at all, Arthur; actually... Itâs surely just the babyâs faultâthe one in Mommyâs belly,â he said, searching for the right words, wanting to explain the situation to his son as best he couldâand especially that he had not done anything wrong. âSheâll feel better once the baby is born.â
Arthur remained silent for a moment, seeming to ponder his fatherâs words. Then a frown appeared on his face, and the little boy cast a displeased glance at his motherâs belly, where he knew the famous âbabyâ was. And that his mom had not eaten it, despite what he might have believed a few months earlier.
âNaughty baby, stop making my mom cry! Please!â he added, suddenly remembering his parentsâ words: âIf you want something, you have to ask for it politely.â
Bill and (Y/N) could not help but burst out laughing at those words, while their son looked at them, confused; why were they laughing now, when the situation had been so serious and heavy just a few seconds ago...?
He was definitely understanding less and less of this strange and enigmatic world of adults.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
A/N: Please be advised that this one-shot contains references to abuse and depictions of blood, though only superficially.
Words : 7k.
Abusive parents, blood, death, forced mariage, angst with a bittersweet ending, reader is Sirius' sister.
What if his beloved (Y/N) never returned from her stay with her parents...? And what if he entered this same exact place that has seen his girlfriend disappeared, years later? What would he found?
English is not my first language.
She had known pain her whole life; and she had learned to live with it, to accept it silently as an integral part of her existence. Even though, deep down, she still hoped for some kind of miracleâshe had to admit it.
As so often before, her body was nothing more than a bundle of raw, frayed nerves, covered in gaping, bloody wounds. Nothing new so far, given that she had endured this punishment time and again in the past, whenever she made even the slightest mistake. She was never forgiven, unlike her brothers.
But this time, she sensed that something was different; Walburga Black, the woman who had brought her into the world, was lashing out at her far more violently than usual. (Y/N), whom this woman terrified to her very core, had grown up knowing that, at any moment and for every slip-up, she risked ending up on the floor, injured, waiting for the torture to stop and for her biological mother to grow tired of it and finally leave her alone. All she would have to do then was wait patiently for Walburga to cast a healing spell on her woundsâknowing she had no access to her own wandâand she would be able to return to her ânormalâ life, with her friends and the one she loved with all her heart.
She knew, however, that this wish could never come true. She had just finished her final year at Hogwarts and had therefore returned home to Grimmauld Place, waiting to make a final decision about the path she wanted to take from here on out, and to finally begin a new chapter in her life, surrounded by those she had chosen to be by her side.
She had never been as brilliant and perfect as Regulus, for whom she felt boundless sisterly affection; nor as brave as Sirius, her twin brother, who had had the guts to leave that hellhole. As for her, she had spent her time hoping that one day her parents would finally realize that they loved their only daughter, and that she was much more than just a pawn to be placed as strategically as possible. Unfortunately, that hope for a new beginning had slowly dwindled as the abuse and mistreatment continued in the utmost secrecy.
However, when she returned home in June 1978, she vowed more than ever to become someone she could be proud of, surrounded by those she lovedâthe very people who disgusted her parents and her unbearable family of pure-bloods. Her first goal was to escape that hellish house for good, taking Regulus and Kreacher with her, and then find a new place to start a completely different lifeâperhaps even with Remus, whom she had been secretly dating for nearly two years.
She must no longer be afraid of that woman she was supposed to call âmother,â even if that seemed insurmountable to her.
She was now seventeen, of legal age, and could finally decide what to do with her own life.
But for the first time in her life, she had failed to consider that no one could hope to thwart Walburga Blackâs plans and walk away unscathed. Least of all herâthe Black familyâs failure of a daughter.
She had secretly hatched a plan to convince her brother that freedom awaited them somewhere out there, and then to run away with him for good; she had succeeded in the first step, despite the terror Regulus himself felt at the very idea. Unfortunately, she could only understand him.
The following evening, just as the brother and sister had promised each other they would begin carrying out their little plan in the utmost secrecy, Walburga had shattered their hopes with a single sentence, spoken at the end of supper.
âSome excellent news arrived today that Iâd been eagerly awaiting,â she had declared, delicately wiping her mouth with a napkin. â(Y/N), a noble pure-blood wizard who was recently widowed, has accepted the marriage proposal I sent him on your behalf; heâs certainly a bit older, but heâs the only one who was willing to give me a positive answerâand, above all, so quickly. It wasnât easy to sell your nonexistent assets, so I hope youâll understand. Now that youâve finished your studies, itâs time for you to fulfill your role."
That single sentence had the effect of a bombshell on the small group seated at the tableâat least for two of them. Regulus, perfectly still, looked at his sister with barely concealed terror; (Y/N), for her part, had her eyes wide open as if her eyeballs were about to pop out, a wave of disgust washing over her almost immediately.
She knew that arranged (and forced) marriages were commonplace among noble families in the wizarding world; ever since she was a little girl, she had been raised to be the perfect bride-to-be and mother of perfect little pure-bloods. But she had hoped to have a little more time to prepare her escape before being sent down the aisle like a lamb to the slaughter. Just like the pawn she wasâand had always been.
She had been afraid of her mother ever since she could walk, perhaps even before; as soon as she found herself in that womanâs presence, (Y/N) lost all her cheerfulness, her courage, her dreams⌠becoming nothing more than an empty shell that Walburga could then manipulate at will.
And yet. This time, the face of Remusâwho had once promised to live with her and love her no matter whatâsuddenly flashed before her eyes. She could not spend the rest of her life with a man she did not knowâa man who was clearly many times her ageâand who simply wanted a new wifeâyoung, pure, and innocentâand perhaps a few more heirs to secure his noble lineage.
She knew the marriage had already been arranged, and that she had virtually no chance of escaping, given that she would be watched very closely during the few remaining preparations.
She was in a dead end.
A surge of courage then came over her, and she abruptly rose from her chairâwhich crashed to the floor with a loud bangâas she tried by every means possible not to let herself be intimidated, once again, by the icy gaze of the woman who had brought her into the world.
âI refuse,â the young woman managed to say despite her trembling, under the terrified gaze of her little brother and the house-elf, and her fatherâs total indifference. âI want to be able to marry the one I love, not a man who will love me only for my youth and my lineage.â
A leaden silence then fell over 12 Grimmauld Place, as breathing and movement froze almost immediatelyâOrion Black included. (Y/N) herself still could not believe that she had finally succeeded, after seventeen long years, in defying her motherâs will in this way.
But at what cost?
For she knew all too well how all her other tiny attempts to speak her mind and voice her requests had ended. And, knowing the deadly glare Walburga had directed at her, (Y/N) knew, more than ever, that she would not be able to escape the âpunishment.â And that, more than ever, she was going to suffer.
She had been dragged across the tile floor by a spell cast by Walburga, then down the stairsâthis time without even an attempt to hide what awaited her from Regulusâs eyesâbefore being locked up and chained in a small room in the basement of the house, as usual. So she waited for her mother to finally come down to see her, all the while praying that the âpunishmentâ would not last too long.
The curses had rained down like a sudden, violent summer downpour on the young woman, whose body was once again covered in gaping, bloodied wounds, as her screams grew louder and more agonizing...
But after several long minutes of agony, even the strength to scream had finally deserted her in that soundproofed room that smelled of iron. She now contented herself with wailing pitifully, whispering pleas for mercy to Walburga Black.
âIâll agree to leave you alone this time, but only if you swear to fulfill your duty to the very end,â her mother finally declared, examining her wand as if it had just been stained by her own childâs blood. âI did not give birth to a daughter so that she might end up marrying the first man who comes along; remember: you were born to be a pawn in your parentsâ hands, and you must act as you are told. You certainly cannot carry on our name, but you can and must at least carry on our noble lineage. Your sole role is to bear heirs, nothing more; and if your husband were to die, you will be betrothed to anotherâsimple. What a disgrace if you were to end up like your cousin, or even like your brother."
(Y/N) was in pain. Not only just because of the torture she had endured, but also because of her own motherâs harsh words. All her life, she had constantly sought Walburga Blackâs praise, but she had, so to speak, never succeeded; now, she fully understood why. The woman who had brought her into the world had never had the slightest affection or hope for her only daughter. She had never been anything more than a mere doll, a mere vessel for the Black lineageâand that of her future husband.Â
Her happiness, her dreams, her hopes? They were nothing but trifles.
The boy she loved? A mere half-bloodâa werewolf, to top it all off.
She, who had wanted to flee this life, and who had constantly put off the day of her exile out of fear of her own mother, had finally been caught up by her own demons. Two choices now lay before her: apologize and marry this man she did not know, knowing she could no longer run away nowâŚ
Or death, plain and simple. She knew her mother would never let another of her children slip away and bring such shame upon her as Sirius had done.
She was almost tempted to choose the first option, because of the immeasurable pain she was going through. But⌠Was it really worth accepting this life that promised to be nothing short of⌠Abominable...?
She began to cry again, her body trembling to the rhythm of her repeated sobs. She did not want to die; she wanted to know freedom, love, the joy of being alive, and the happiness of being able to live with those she loved. With the one she had sworn to love until the end.
She did not want to die. But she could not bring herself, however, to live as Walburga wished. For the life her mother had decided for her was far worse than any death.
She simply regretted not having been able to say goodbye to Lily, James, and Peter, as well as to all her wonderful friends. But also to Sirius and Regulus, her beloved brothers, whom she loved above all else.
And, of course, to Remus, the love of her life, who had made her happy for a brief part of her existence.
âIâd rather die,â she murmured in a faint yet steady voice.
ââŚas you wish, you useless little thing. What a wasteâto have had to raise you only to end up here.â
Her mother, after (Y/N)âs categorical refusal, had left her on the floor of the torture chamber, still handcuffed to the concrete that formed the wall of her final resting placeâshe knew it. The floor, covered in fresh blood, glistened with a crimson glow in the light of the single lantern still hanging from a rusty hook, slowly burning out.
The door had vanished once Walburga left, permanently denying (Y/N) any chance of escaping this place alive; a girl who had become utterly useless no longer had a place in the prestigious Black family, after all.
She was going to die a slow, agonizing death, amid the most utter indifference.
Every drop of blood that flowed from her body was like another drop of life slipping through her fingers. She felt her mind clouding over, her limbs growing limp, yet the tears never stopped flowing.
Tears of regret, of despair... But also of resentment.Â
She had breathed her last, slowly, and with no hope of being saved...
But she had not forgotten. What she had had to endure and what had been taken from her.
------------------------------------------
He had never forgotten her. How could he have, anyway? She was the one who made his heart beat, who had accepted him as he was, with his flaws and his many shortcomings.
They had promised to meet in secret that summer of 1978, so that Walburga Black would not find out and could not do anything to stop her daughter from living the life she wanted to lead.
Remus had tried to convince (Y/N) that he could accompany her, but the young woman had flatly refused. She feared above all else that her mother would fly into a rage and decide to make the werewolf pay for this âaffront.â
(Y/N) had promised to be discreet and to run away in the utmost secrecy, along with Regulus and the Black familyâs house-elf. In theory, Remus should have received a letter from his girlfriend a few days after their graduation, but she had never written to him.
More than ten years later, Remus was still searching for answers to this silence: Had (Y/N) been unable to rebel against her own mother? Had Walburga gotten wind of her only daughterâs escape attempt? Had she been forced to marry another man, in the utmost secrecy, and thus condemned to be imprisoned in her new home and to bear heirs without ever being able to say no?
Was the woman he still loved today at least still alive, or had she paid for her desire for freedom with her life? These questions had driven him mad time and again, and had just as often kept him awake at night. He had never stopped dreaming of a terrified young woman calling out to him for help, yet he could never find the one who was desperately pleading to be savedâthe one for whom he would have gladly sacrificed his own life.
For more than ten years, he had lived with the voice of (Y/N) somewhere in the back of his mind, pleading for him to come to her aid. And he had never been able to do her justice, let alone hold the person surely responsible to account; Walburga had remained out of reach and had eventually died a few years later, just like Regulus and Orion Black.
Having already endured the loss of nearly all his friends, Remus felt the final blow when he realized that (Y/N) would probably never return, knowing that even her own brother, Regulus, did not know where she had gone. Or perhaps Regulus had never wanted to reveal itâno one could be sure.
With a lump in his throat, Remus stared intently at the massive Black mansion, which had just materialized through magic. The building had clearly lost its former grandeur, which the young man could tell at a glance from the numerous stone statuettes that had fallen from the facade and the cracks dotting the front of the house. He had to make his way through the thick growth of weeds that had overrun the small garden leading to the front door.
This place, even though he had never set foot there before, made him feel uneasy. It was the last known home where (Y/N) had lived, and he could not help but sense the lingering traces of her presence, dating back more than a decade.
A trembling hand pressed the doorbell button, which, miraculously, still worked. Remus waited a long time before someone finally came to open the door; what greeted him, however, was not a person, but a simple wand pointed at him.
â...the Maraudersâ password?â asked a voice he knew all too well, causing him to sigh with relief.
âI solemnly swear that I'm up to no good,â Remus murmured with a bitter smile, as the door swung wide open and a hand pulled him inside.
âSorry for threatening you like that, MoonyâŚâ Sirius said, tucking his wand into one of his pockets. âItâs just thatâŚâ
âWe have to be carefulâI know that perfectly well,â Remus reassured him. âIââ
He was cut off, however, by a shrill voice that was completely unfamiliar to him but nevertheless sent chills down his spine.
âA mudblood in my own home, my GodâŚ! Get out of here, you wretchââ
The womanâs tirade was cut short by a wave of Siriusâs wand; he sighed, rolling his eyes, and muttered something Remus could not hear. His gray-eyed friend then motioned for him to follow in silence, and the werewolf complied. He walked past a closed curtain, from behind which muffled insults directed at him were still escaping; no doubt there must be a painting hidden behind it, he thought, looking sadly at his surroundings.
He found himself, at last, in the house where (Y/N) had grown up over the course of decadesâand which had certainly witnessed her disappearance from the outside world as well.
He did not know if he was going completely mad, but he felt as though he were being watched in this squalid place.
âWould you like some tea?â Sirius asked as they reached the main living room, a question to which Remus replied in the affirmative. âKreacher!â his friend exclaimed in a loud voice, âBring us something to drink!â
There was no reaction, and Remus hesitated for a long time, wondering who his friend had been addressing. He got his answer, however, several long minutes later, when a house-elf, dressed in what looked like an old, worn, and stained pillowcase, entered the room muttering under his breath, a tray in his hands, which he set down roughly on the small coffee table. Remus could have sworn the creature had shot him a dirty look, but he did not pay it any more attention than that.
No doubt this was the elf (Y/N) had mentioned to him in the past.
âDonât mind him,â Sirius sighed, taking one cup and handing the other to his friend. "Heâs been alone in this house for years, and he used to spend time with my mother. No wonder heâs become even weirder than he already was⌠He doesnât really like me," he thought it relevant to add, while the house elf in question cowered in a corner, watching the two humans with a suspicious and insistent look.
The two friends talked for a long time, catching up on lost years, despite the unease they felt at being in this house; they had no choice, however, and they knew it all too well.
Midnight finally struck, and Remus realized that the sun had long since set, beyond the windows with their shutters closed, which let in a thin sliver of moonlight. It was high time to see what his new room looked like, even though he had, so to speak, little desire to find out, knowing the state the rest of the house was in. It could not be any worse than his previous homes, though.
Sirius guided him through the endless corridors of the Black house, which was truly immense. They passed a gigantic painting depicting a tree, with what appeared to be portraits hanging from each branch. Looking more closely by the light of the lantern he held, Remus noticed that beneath each portrait was a name inscribed.
Without really realizing it, he searched for his ex-girlfriendâs name, but could not find it. The tree was immense, and the light was very dim.
He was interrupted, however, by Sirius, who pointed to a certain spot on the family tree that Remus had not yet had time to examine. He could read Siriusâs nameâwhose portrait had been burnedâand then he came across the one he was looking for, right next to it.
(Y/N) Black.
Her portrait, too, had been erased, as if someone had wanted to wipe every trace of her existence from this house. He gently ran his fingers over the scorch mark, beneath which (Y/N)âs face must still lie. A face he had never forgotten, however, and one he had promised himself he would never forget.
â...Did you manage to find out what happened to her...?â Remus finally ventured, his throat tight. âWhere did she go?â
Sirius, his eyes welling up, shook his head.
âNothing. My mother never wanted to tell me, and Regulus clearly didnât know any more than we did. Or maybe he was just playing his cards close to his chest, and had even played a role in my sisterâs disappearance; nothing more normal for a noble Death Eater like him, right?â he finished in a bitter, trembling tone, clearly holding back tears.
A thud then sounded not far from them. They jumped, scanned their surroundings, and discovered that a piece of furniture had just been knocked to the ground a few meters away.
âIt must have been Kreacher watching usâand he ran off, unsurprisingly,â Sirius muttered, wiping his eyes and looking away so Remus would not see him crying. âI think we should go to sleep; we have to get up early to attend the Orderâs first meeting tomorrow.â
Remus knew full well that his friend was using this as a distraction so his tears would not be seenâjust as he himself was in the habit of doing whenever something was wrong. But the werewolf could not blame him for it; he was exactly the same way when it came to that.
Casting one last glance at the charred portrait of (Y/N), Remus hurried into the room Sirius had pointed out to himâa room that had been modestly prepared for his arrival. Only once the door closed behind him did he let his tears flow, as he replayed all the most beautiful memories he had kept of the one he had lovedâand still lovedâsilently preparing himself to go to sleep.
He finally lay down, letting out a deep sigh. He never could have imagined that one day he would set foot in his girlfriendâs childhood homeâand, above all, that he would still be crying for her after more than ten years. Why had he never managed to move on, to leave behind that part of his past that still haunted him today?
Why did he still feel this sadness and guilt, which were eating him alive even after more than a decade to heal?
The answer was simple. He did not want to forget her, no matter what. Even if the memory of her hurt him.
âIâm sorry, (Y/N). For not been able to save you,â he whispered, closing his eyes, hoping that someoneâanyoneâmight hear him.
Especially the one for whom his heart still beat today. Even though he knew that, from now on, that was completely impossible.
--------------------------------------------
He was awakened in the middle of the night by muffled sobs and words whispered in his ear, though he could not make out what they meant. Ever since the loss of his friends and his beloved, Remus had been sleeping even more lightly than he had during his childhood and adolescence, and even the slightest sound was now enough to snap him back to reality.
He sat up with a start, his eyes wide open, the candle burning out in his lantern being the only visible source of light. But he could have sworn he had seen a silvery shape fly away, like a Patronus. He stood there for a long time, trying to pierce the darkness and discover who might have spoken to him in his sleep, but to no avail.
Nothing moved, and no sound interrupted the chorus of creaks that the old Black house so readily produced.
He lay back down, attributing it to the anxiety he felt at the thought of being in such a place. He was unable to fall back asleep for the rest of the night, however.
------------------------------------------
The next morning was difficultâvery difficult. When he glanced at the dusty mirror sitting in a corner of his room, Remus winced; he had massive dark circles under his eyes, as well as a chalky complexion that made his numerous scars stand out. Anyone could see that he had not slept more than a few hours.
He was not the only one, though, as he realized when he caught Siriusâs eye that morning in the dining hall. The two men looked at each other with mutual, silent sympathy, though neither of them broached the unpleasant subject. They knew perfectly well why they had not been able to sleep a wink; there was no point in rubbing salt in the wound.
The members of the Order soon began trickling in for the very first meeting in the history of its rebirth. Kreacher, despite his reluctance, had managed to make tea for everyone, and Molly Weasley had, as usual, thought of everything by bringing snacks.
Remus, for his part, could not help but notice the disappointment on his gray-eyed friendâs face when he realized that Harry, his godson, had not been able to come. Silently, the werewolf placed a comforting hand on Siriusâs shoulder; Sirius rolled his eyes in response, making Remus smile.
âIâm not going to cry, I promise,â Sirius muttered. âDamn school, keeping me from seeing my nephew.â
The meeting proceeded in relative calm, considering all the explosive personalities that had been gathered in one place. Remus was still surprised to find that everything ended well, despite a few scattered slip-ups.
The rest of the day dragged on slowly, as the remaining members of the Order settled into the various vacant rooms, which had been prepared by a house-elf muttering under his breath and shooting indignant glances at anyone who dared to touch or criticize an object belonging to the noble House of Black.
Remus eventually found himself alone in one of the living rooms, an empty teacup in his hand, as he absentmindedly studied a painting of what appeared to be Regulus, accompanied by his parents. During his stay there, he had seen virtually no sign whatsoever that (Y/N) had ever lived there. Sirius, on the other hand, still had his room exactly as he had left itâdespite having been disownedâthanks to all the spells he had cast on the posters and Muggle knickknacks, to keep them hanging on the walls and perched on the furniture.
â...the master sent me to refill your teapot, even though Iâd have preferred to do without,â grumbled a hoarse voice that Remus recognized as the house-elfâs, though it still made him jump.
âThank you,â replied the werewolf with a faint smile, as Kreacher shuffled off to the kitchen.
He returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray with a freshly filled teapot in his hands, which he set down on the coffee table with a bit more force than necessary.
The elf then turned on his heel without saying another word, before Remus interrupted him.
"(Y/N) often spoke of you; she liked you very much. It must have been especially hard for you to stay here all these years, alone. Didnât you ever think about leaving?"
Kreacher spun around sharply, his arms drawn tight against his chest, his eyes narrowed.
â...it is my duty to serve the noble Black lineage for the rest of my days,â he recited without hesitation, as if he had engraved those few words in his mind. "You defile this house with your presence, but I am unfortunately obliged to follow Master Siriusâs orders. If only the young lady were still alive..."
The house-elf suddenly seemed to realize what he had said, for he clamped his lips shut with all his might, even scratching his skin as he groaned silently in pain.
Remus, for his part, straighten up, stung to the core.
â...What do you mean, âif she were still aliveâ?â he asked in a trembling voice.
He was afraid to ask that question, but he could not help himself. He had never known the truth about (Y/N)âs disappearance, and he was not even sure he wanted to. But he had to learn what had happened to her, and the answer now seemed obvious to himâfar too obvious.
The house-elf had certainly witnessed an event that, in one way or another, had led to (Y/N)âs disappearance more than ten years ago.
Kreacher then yanked violently at his ears, as if to punish himself for something he must not reveal under any circumstances. He muttered a few sentences, which Remus was able to make out after much effort.
âShe told me that her presence here must remain a secret. My poor young lady⌠So alone⌠Suffered so muchâŚâ
Then the elf vanished with a snap, before Remus could ask him anything else.
He could not believe what this creature had just said. It was now clear that the elf had witnessed (Y/N)âs final days, given what he had said.
(Y/N).... Was her body still here, even after all these years...? Had she never managed to leave this cursed place, despite what he had hoped...?
Where was she now?
First, he had to go see Sirius; only his friend was capable of ordering Kreacher to speak and reveal what he knew about (Y/N)âs disappearance.
The werewolf leapt to his feet, knocking over his cup in the process; it shattered on the floor, but he paid it no mind. He reached the door to Siriusâs room, knowing full well that his friend was restingâor at least trying to.
Remus knocked on the door until it finally unlocked and swung open, revealing a man with long black hair and eyes barely openâhe had clearly just woken up.
â...I hope you have a good reason forââ
But Sirius was unable to finish his sentence as Remus stepped into the room, gently nudging his friend, who grumbled even louder but stopped when he saw the look on his friendâs face.
âAsk your elf what he knows about (Y/N), Sirius,â Remus implored, gripping the brunetâs shoulders firmly. âHe knows. He knows what happened to her.â
Sirius stood motionless for a long moment, frozen by the mention of his sisterâs first nameâa name he had not heard in years and had never yet had the courage to say again, just like Remus.
At least, that is what he had believed until today.
"I already asked him, but he wouldn't tell me-"
âHe said she was still here,â the werewolf continued in a desperate voice that made him seem far frailer than he actually was. âHe said she was dead.â
A heavy silence fell over the two young men before Sirius spoke again, incredulous.
â...You mean that, all this time, that filthy elf has been hiding the reasons behind my sisterâs disappearance...? Do you think my mother ordered him to do that...?â
Remus shrugged, not trusting his voice just yet. He and Sirius then rushed down the stairs as fast as they could, trying, however, to make as little noise as possible, both to avoid disturbing their âguestsâ and Walburgaâs portrait.
They searched the kitchens and the surrounding areas for several hours, casting revealing spells here and there, but failed to find Kreacher or any hidden room.
Remus, for his part, felt his patience and nerves reaching the limit of what he could endure. All these years, he had lived with the painful memory of (Y/N), clinging to a tiny hope that she might still be alive, somewhere in this world, and that she had simply left her old life behind.
But all those hopes had been shattered by Kreacherâs words, and Remus felt guilt and despair overwhelming him more and more as the search proved fruitless.
He slumped into a chair, cupping his face in his hands, as he whispered these few words, filled with grief:
âPlease, (Y/N)... If youâre still out there, no matter what you look like, show yourself... I canât take living with lies and things left unsaid anymore. I need to know.â
Silence was his only answer, once again, as if to taunt him.
But, after several long seconds, a choked gasp was heard coming from Siriusâs direction, causing the werewolf to look up. His friend was staring intently at a specific spot in a corner of the kitchen, toward which Remus immediately turned as well.
And what he saw hit him like a punch in the gut.
A silvery, slightly translucent figure stood thereâa ghost, he recognized immediately. Undoubtedly the same silvery figure that had woken him up that night, he thought to himself, without dwelling on it any further.
(Y/N) was there. She had heard him and had finally come out of her hiding place; she still looked just as she had when she disappeared, exactly as Remus remembered her. He could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest as tears began to stream down his cheeks.
What he had so dreaded had clearly come to pass ten years earlier; his girlfriend had never survived that summer of 1978, and had thus never left the house that had surely seen her suffer so much, and that had most certainly been her final resting place.
â...I didnât want you to see me like this,â (Y/N) murmured in a broken, distant voice. âIâve spent so much time alone here that Iâve forgotten how to interact with others. Only Kreacher was there; he was the only one I could talk toâit was so hard...! I wanted to see you, but I couldnât leave this house..."
Unable to touch her because her body was now immaterial, Remus brushed (Y/N)âs fingers, feeling the coldness of death through that simple gesture, causing him to weep even harder.
â...What happened?â he asked in a soft voice, as he heard Sirius in turn sit down heavily in a chair, clearly no longer able to stand.
"... Regulus and I had planned to run away with our house-elf the night my mother told us I was going to be married to a man I didnât knowâand that I had no right to refuse, because it was my 'duty,'â whispered (Y/N), her gaze fixed on the floor. "I knew I no longer had any chance of running away, because she was going to keep a close eye on me to make sure I didnât; so I stood up to her for the first time since I was born, and she dragged me into the 'punishment' room, as she called it."
It was Siriusâs turn to speak.
âThe⌠âpunishmentâ roomâŚ? Iâve never seen itâŚâ
In her ghostly form, (Y/N) shook her head.
âWhenever she didnât like something, sheâd lock me in that hidden room to beat me, leaving me to âreflect on my actionsâ before healing my wounds and letting me go back outside. She kept it hidden from Regulus and you, Siriusâno doubt for fear that one of you might mention it at Hogwarts or elsewhere, and that sheâd get into trouble. She was never that afraid with me; she knew I could never say a word about it."
She took a deep breath, searching for her words, having clearly not spoken this much in years.
âRegulus knew I was no longer of this world, but my mother made him take an unbreakable vow not to repeat it. I kept talking to him from time to time, in that horrible form; then, one day, he disappeared too. Kreacher told me he died trying to destroy one of Voldemortâs Horcruxesâone of the objects into which that monster had implanted a fragment of his soul; thenâ"
âWaitâŚâ Sirius cut her off, his eyes wide and his voice trembling. âYou mean⌠Regulus died while⌠Trying to go against Voldemortâs willâŚ? He wasnât⌠on his sideâŚ?"
(Y/N) looked at her brother as if he had just hit her.
âNo! Reggie always played along with the Death Eater, but he never, ever wanted to hurt anyoneâquite the opposite!!â the ghost burst out, before regaining a bit of composure upon seeing the looks on her brotherâs and her ex-boyfriendâs faces. "He pretended to obey Voldemortâs orders, but he was secretly looking for a way to kill him for good; he learned about the Horcruxes, particularly a locket, which he tried to destroy⌠. But it cost him his life. Kreacher was with him; he witnessed the whole scene and told me everything,â she finished, crying even harder, her ghostly body trembling with each sob. âThatâs why I was so angry last night when you said Reggie was a perfect Death Eater; I didnât mean to scare you like thatâIâm sorry."
A certain event from the previous day then came back to Remusâs mind, and he finally managed to think clearly for a moment amid all these devastating revelations.
âWas it you who knocked that piece of furniture over yesterday?â
(Y/N) nodded, ashamed.
âYouâre also the one I saw last night in my room,â the werewolf continued, now piecing together the final pieces.
"I... Couldn't resist. I'm sorry".
Silence fell once more over the three of them, now spectators of a life they had been forced to leave behind.
âI didnât want you to see me like that; I truly thought that staying hidden was the best solution,â whispered (Y/N). âI didnât want to bring back any painful memories for you, even though I was desperate to talk to you again. Iâm so happy to see that youâre still alive, and that youâre doing relatively well, despite everything thatâs happened to youâand to James and Lily. I heard you talking about Peterâs role in this story⌠I never could have imagined that this friend I cared so much about would end up like this."
(Y/N)âs ghost curled up into a ball before continuing, her voice still as distant.
âIâm so glad you havenât forgotten me. Thank you.â
Remus, unable to embrace his beloved, instead placed his own hand on (Y/N)âs, his hand passing right through hers, as he felt an icy chill wash over him.
"... weâll never be able to forget you, (Y/N),â whispered the werewolf. âSirius and I will do everything we can to make sure your memory never fades. So that everyone knows what an amazing person you were.â
The smile his ex-girlfriend gave him broke his heart a little more, while at the same time healing a part of his soul that had been tormented for over ten long years. He would have given his life and soul a thousand times over if only all of this were just a gigantic nightmare, and if only he could finally wake up in his seventeen-year-old body, ready to fight again and again for the one he still loved today.
How he cursed himself for letting her go home alone; how he regretted not having known the truth all those years. He was filled with despair, more than ever.
â...I want to ask you a favor,â (Y/N) continued, âone last favor. Live as if every day were your last, and try your hardest to forget the past. You have your whole life ahead of you, and none of this is your fault; could you⌠Could you do that for meâŚ? But don't forget me entirely, please..."
Remus simply nodded, while Sirius wept silently, looking at his sister, whom he had never stopped hoping to see again one day. But not like this.
This ending, this answer, were far too cruel.
âWeâll try, I promise,â Sirius replied, stifling yet another sob. âIf thatâs what was keeping you here, you can leave with peace of mind now,â he added, trying to smile as best he could at his sister for the last time. "You deserve to find peace after all these years of torment. Iâm sorry for being such a terrible big brother. You⌠deserved so much better."
âI couldnât have asked for better brothersâquite the opposite,â (Y/N) assured him with a smile. âAnd for better friends, tooâexcept for Peter, of course⌠And, obviously⌠Iâm happy to have fallen in love with someone as extraordinary as you, Remus."
The werewolf, too, began to smile as best he could, through his tears.
âThe most beautiful thing Iâve ever done in my life was, without a doubt, falling in love with you,â he replied, wiping his cheeks. âThank you. Thank you for being a part of our lives, even if it only lasted the blink of an eye."
A soft light suddenly began to emanate from (Y/N), whose ghostly appearance slowly began to fade, while her laughter could be heard one last time, just as her final words echoed in their minds.
âWeâll see each other again. But not too soon, pleaseâŚ!â
A heavy silence then fell over the enormous kitchen, plunged into semi-darkness, with neither Remus nor Sirius able to find the courage to get back up.
Yet they knew, now more than ever, that they would have to redouble their efforts to keep the promise they had made to (Y/N)âthe last promise they had ever been able to make to her.
But there was another promise as well: to find the body of their beloved sister and soulmate, and finally be able to give her the funeral she should have received a terribly long time ago.
For she deserved, more than anything, to have her memory honored and to be remembered. Even if it were the last thing Remus would ever do.
He only hoped that, from now on, she was in a place far more beautiful than the hell she had had to endure during her lifetime.
Somewhere that radiated happiness, freedom, and love.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Hi, I saw your post about taking requests for Charlie Weasley. I'd appreciate it if you wrote about him and his pregnant wife( reader). You can choose the scenario.
Baby on Board (Harry Potter x Reader Headcanon)
đ¸ Characters in this chapter: Charlie Weasley and Barnaby Lee.
đ¸ Spoilers: none.
Request from an anonymous person on Tumblr, thank you so much! They suggested I write something featuring Charlie Weasley and a pregnant reader (who would therefore be female). I added Barnaby because he is definitely my favorite character from the video game Hogwarts Mystery :)
A few mature references in the second part (the one about Barnaby), but nothing too bad.
Charlie
⢠We cannot say it enough, but Charlie had neverâEVERâplanned on becoming a dad or having a child, whether in a year or even decades from now; he had never even considered settling down with anyone, if you can believe it!
⢠But it must be said that he was sorely mistaken, and that his mother, who was desperate for another grandchild (because you can never have enough!) especially from her second-born, was delighted to learn that Charlie had met someone, and that this person, you, was charming and enchanting enough to have managed to win over THE Charlie Weasley, renowned for having eyes only for his beloved dragons. Getting together with you had initially been quite an ordeal in itself for the redhead, but he had quickly learned to cherish every moment spent with you in your little cabin not far from the dragon reserve in Romania, where you had made your home for the past few years.
⢠So, when you went on to announce to your husband, and then to your mother-in-law, that you were pregnant, Molly celebrated in a big way, inviting the whole family to the Burrow and throwing a party that lasted several days (Charlie and his kind, of course, making sure you did not drink any alcohol and that you take breaks).
⢠You and Charlie had decided to move closer to your two families so you could raise your baby near them. Charlie was a little sad at the thought of leaving Romania, which had been his home for many long years... But this marked a new beginning for the three of you, as well as an opportunity to establish your own dragon reserve in the United Kingdom.
⢠The move did not take long, since everything had been send by magic to your new place; you were able to settle into your new home very quickly, before your growing belly became too much of a hindrance.
⢠Charlie had had to wait a long time before he could finally fully accept that he had left his old jobâand his old life in general; the man he had once been would have given up everything to keep working there, but⌠His new self, on the other hand, would have given anything to keep living by your side, without fully realizing that he had ultimately committed to becoming a dad. And that, more than ever, he did not regret his decisions. Much to his own surprise.
⢠At night, when you went to bed, Charlie had always made it a habit to kiss you goodnight; and, since there were no longer just the two of you, but three, he would also kiss your belly before lying down and holding you close, as if you might run away. Which you would not actually do for anything in the world, especially for this man who had almost without hesitation left behind the job and the old life he cared so much about. Just for you.
⢠Guilt would sometimes wash over you, precisely when you thought about the sacrifices Charlie had had to make to stay with you and create the perfect environment for your unborn child; but Charlie would simply say each time, smiling from ear to ear, that he had just traded one dream for another. And that his sanctuary project in the UK was underway, so he had absolutely no regrets.
⢠Well, letâs be honest one more time... Charlie knows everything there is to know about dragons, like a veritable living encyclopedia; he knows far less, however, about the conception and raising of human children. So, taking a cue from his precious dragons, he had (secretly) prepared a little ânestâ for you where you could relax and quietly give birth to your beloved little bundle of joy. He had waited for you to come home after a quick personal outing, shouting âsurprise!â the moment you walked through the door, presenting his creation to you with unabashed pride.
⢠Needless to say, once you realized what was going on, you could not help but burst out laughing. However, your mother-in-law, who was with you at the time, did not find it nearly as funny...
⢠She even rushed out to buy a wonderful book titled âBabies for Dummiesâ for her son. The human version, of course.
~
Barnaby
⢠Without a doubt, this the man most fascinated by the magic of nature and creation on this Earth. He was already amazed by the fact that a Nifflerâor any other living creatureâcould give life, but that fascination only grew stronger when you yourself eventually became pregnant.
⢠Even though, of course, you were not exactly thrilled to be compared to a Nifflerâeven though you adored those little creatures.
⢠Barnaby stays by your side throughout your entire pregnancy, even more attached to you than he usually is, especially to watch your belly gently round out as the days go by.
⢠He has undoubtedly become your most devoted bodyguard since the announcement of the impending baby. Especially toward his own family, who are not so sure they will accept the arrival of this child, due to too many differences between the daughter-in-law they demanded and the one they ended up with. But Barnaby learn, with time, that he did not care anymore about his parents'thoughts.
⢠Barnaby will certainly cry throughout the entire delivery, repeating over and over how sorry he is to put you through this, much to the amusement of the nurses, who have been entertained for at least two consecutive years, without a doubt.
⢠At the moment of birth, while everyoneâs attention is focused on the newborn (yours included), Barnaby, on the other hand, will repeatedly check to make sure you are okay, wiping your forehead and holding you in his arms, whispering soothing words to calm you down and, of course, reminding you that it is finally over.
⢠It is only when the newborn is finally placed in your arms that Barnaby finally seems to remember that he became a dad just a few minutes ago; he watches you cradle the baby with teary eyes, and nearly faints when you offer to let him hold his child in turn.
⢠He, too, given his passion for animals and magical creatures, is used to observing newborns all day long. He had, however, never before been able to examine or hold a human babyâand certainly not his own, of courseâwhich once again brings him close to tears, but he tries to be strong for you⌠and also because he is starting to find it a bit annoying that the nurses are making fun of him, too.
⢠"...I canât believe you could have created something so perfect,â he whispers to you as he watches the tiny infant grab his finger with remarkable strength for such a small being.
⢠You try not to laugh as you reply, âYou helped create this baby too, you know...â
⢠And, once again, the nurses (as well as you yourselfâyou cannot deny it) got to watch Barnaby turn Gryffindor red as fast as a Golden Snitch flying at full speed.
⢠This birth will go down in history, for sure.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Hello! May I please ask for general dating headcanons for Murphy? (HP Hogwarts Mystery) Thank you so much! â¨ď¸
Murphy M. : Love with a Capital L (Harry Potter x Reader Headcanon)
đ¸ Characters featured in this chapter: Murphy (Hogwarts Mystery).
đ¸ Spoilers: Knowing who Murphy is is enough to read this.
Someone on Tumblr asked me for a general, romance-focused headcanon about Murphy; which made me really happy, since Murphy is one of my favorite characters. So here it isâI hope you enjoy it!
(I only take requests for headcanons about Harry Potter!)
Murphy
⢠Murphy is, generally speaking and in his own words, very comfortable with friendship and human relationships of any kind.
⢠That said, all of this was before he started experiencing feelings that were much more... romantic. For you, of all people.Â
⢠He knows little about romance and has never wanted to ask anyone for advice. In fact, almost unconsciously, he had long since given up on any kind of romantic relationship, even though he had been madly in love with you for years without really noticing it.
⢠It took him a long time to realize that he loved you differently from his friends, because something like that had never happened to him before, and he thought (unfairly) that he could never make someone like you love him that way anyway. Be kind to him about this!
⢠You were the one who had to confess your feelings to him first; otherwise, he never would have done so. This is a very experimental relationship, but it does not seem awkward at all.Â
⢠He does believe, however, that if your relationship goes wrong at some point, it will surely be at least 87% his fault... Maybe even more.Â
⢠He may be a bit gruff and a bit blunt in his actions and words, but he does not mean any harm; thatâs just how he has always operated, and how he has managed to make his mark. But he wants to learn to be more considerate, if only for you!
⢠He insists that his close friends call him by his last name, but makes an exception for you; he loves hearing his first name from you, so you are the only exception he allows.Â
⢠Loves having you sit on his lap so he can wrap his arms around you and hold you close; if he could, and if Professor Snape had no objection, he would do it all day long, at any rate.
⢠He often makes references to you during his Quidditch commentary, whether you are playing on the field or not, which tends to annoy Professor McGonagall⌠Even though, secretly, she finds this behavior rather cuteâsomething she would never admit for anything in the world; her reputation as a teacher feared and respected by her students depends on it!
⢠Murphy is a chess fanâeveryone knows it... And he often wins, because he is extremely good at it. But, seeing that you constantly lose when playing with him, he started pretending to let you win at times... Seeing your smile and hearing your cries of joy is all that matters to him!
⢠You did not take long to realize the truth, though... But all he wanted was to make you happy, so you forgive him...?
⢠In a nutshell, Murphy is and will always be your undisputed biggest fan. And this despite lifeâs ups and downs and the difficulties to comeâor even those already here.
⢠Surely what we can call, without hesitation, Love with a capital L.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
What I Want to Be (Harry Potter x Reader Headcanon)
đ¸ Characters in this chapter: Merula and Orion (characters from the game "Hogwarts Mystery").
đ¸ Spoilers: Youâll need to know a little about Merulaâs pastâspecifically regarding her parentsâto enjoy this story.
A request from @hphmf. I hope you will like it!
Merula
⢠It is no surprise, but ending up in a relationship with THE Merula was almost the last thing you ever expected in your life⌠Maybe even more so than seeing Ben eventually overcome his almost constant fear of everything and anything.
⢠Say what you will, and Merula too, but your love story did not start out like a fairy taleâfar from it; at the very beginning, you could not stand each other, or even stay in the same room for too long, lest you end up fighting and, incidentally, getting detention for unauthorized dueling. And plenty of other wonderful things, some of which nearly got you expelled from Hogwarts for a few days.
⢠But, over time, and through the trials you endured side by side, you finally began to understand each other; the reason behind their actions, the fears and weaknesses hidden at all costs, but also... the feelings.
⢠At first, you simply did not want to believe it; you, in love with Merula, that horrible witch who spent her time bragging about nonexistent exploits, and who never stopped wanting to see you fail?
⢠But since when had that childish and exhausting attitude Merula had at the very beginning of your school days begun to change, until she became the person you had fallen madly in love with...?
⢠You had eventually come to understand each other, and realized that this old, childish rivalry was holding you back, preventing you from becoming what you dreamed of being deep down inside.
⢠For you, the choice had been made so long ago that you no longer remembered it very clearly; but for Merula, whose parents were Death Eaters and who was silently destined by those close to her to follow in their footsteps, choosing to become a curse-breaker had not been an obvious choiceâfar from it.
⢠At home, as she grappled with the loneliness caused by the absence of those who had raised and loved her, she had learned to distinguish between true love and superficial affection; her aunt, who had never really wanted to care for her, had never truly loved her. It was for this reason that, as Merula discovered other ways of living with others upon entering Hogwarts, she had initially wanted to keep her distance from that apparent stability and the tangled web of emotions.
⢠Over the years and through trials, she had come to realize that there was another way to love, another way to live, different from the one she had known since her parentsâ departure; to be happy, to be loved, and to love in return. Authentically.
⢠She had thus insisted on following you on your various adventures as a spellcaster, willingly or by force, finally realizing that it was indeed up to her to take her own destiny into her own hands, to rise above and seize the new opportunities that presented themselves to her, lest she have to draw a definitive line under the dream life she so ardently desired, deep down inside. A normal life, with a simple touch of madness, but nonetheless surrounded by love.
⢠She had taken your outstretched handâyou who had been her rival for nearly all the years you spent at Hogwarts. If someone had once told her what her future would look like, she would have gladly let nausea overcome her.
⢠And yet. Today, she saw no other purpose to this life she had previously built on unstable foundations, which could have crumbled at any moment. But you had been there, believing in her, supporting her, strengthening those foundations that had once seemed so insignificant and useless.
⢠Now, you were known as Englandâs most famous curse-breaker duo, an achievement that still left Merula speechless every time she was recognized on the street and cheered for who she had become, instead of people trembling with every step she took, as her former schoolmates used to do.
⢠You had been there to prove to her that, at any moment, one can choose who they truly want to be, despite the ghosts of the past, which constantly haunt us.
~
Orion
⢠You were never really good at school; sure, your grades were decent, but... In the eyes of your parents, for whom excellence meant everything, you were a complete failure.
⢠Despite your immense efforts, your desperate tears, and your constant anxiety, someone always ended up outperforming you in every subject. Except one.
⢠Flying on a broom. From your very first year, when you first tried to mount a broom, you were blown away by the sensations you experienced; you had never felt so free, twirling among the clouds as you did, as if every movement had been etched into your body and soul long before you were born.
⢠Your love for brooms had begun on that famous September day; while you performed one magnificent maneuver after another, with no prior experience, your classmates struggled to summon their own brooms, watching you with a mix of envy, admiration, and jealousy.
⢠Madam Hooch, stunned herself after watching you fly like that for several long seconds, ordered you to come back down; you had expected a scolding, knowing you were not supposed to fly during that first lesson, but...
⢠On the contrary, your flying instructor did not hesitate for a single second to bombard you with questions; were you already familiar with broom flying, had your parents taught you how to do loops before you started at Hogwarts, were you aware of the true talent you possessed in this area...?
⢠It was the first time in your life that someone had complimented you like that, and especially that someone had raved about one of your âhidden talents.â You, who had always believed yourself to be a failure, then chose to throw yourself wholeheartedly into the majestic art of broom flying.
⢠And very soon, Madam Hooch had offered you a spot on your houseâs Quidditch team, remarking that âsuch raw talent was just waiting to be polished, like a diamond.â Such a compliment had nearly moved you to tears as you took your first steps onto the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, clad in your house colors, to meet your new teammates.
⢠It was a young man, with dark skin and a gentle smile, who first noticed your arrival; he quickly introduced himself as Orion, and seemed quite cheerful at the idea of having a new recruit on his team, knowing that he was the captain.
⢠He quickly understood why Madam Hooch had personally recommended you for the position of Chaser. You were just as comfortable in the air as you were on the ground, if not more so; you seemed to be one with your broom, as if it were nothing more than an extension of your own body.
⢠With you, winning the Quidditch Cup at the end of the year had been a breeze, and the same went for the years that followed; no one had ever seen such a genius, especially at such a young age. Your future as a professional Quidditch player already seemed set in stone, and you were already dreaming of spending your entire life doing just that.
⢠But you had overlooked one detail that changed everything.
⢠To your parents, Quidditch was simply a barbaric, illiterate activity; you had never told them about your love of flying, precisely because you knew better. But you could not hide it from them forever; they eventually discovered your intentions and were furious.
⢠So furious that they threatenedâeven though you were not even seventeen yetâto cut all ties with you, but also to leave you alone, with no one to rely on, and no money.
⢠So you had to make a choice, and it devastated you: give up your future in Quidditch, all so you could keep your parents in your life, which looked bleaker than ever now that you had had to abandon your dream. Your parents, who had discovered that you were on your houseâs Quidditch team, had also insisted that you quit immediately, under threat of severe consequences.
⢠Devastated, you went to share the news with Orion, your captain and dear friend, for whom you secretly had a crush. You explained that you wanted to stop playing matches and attending practices so you could focus on your studies; but he looked at you with confusion.
⢠â...why would you want to leave the team so suddenly, when your grades are still average? I get the feeling something else is forcing you to do thisâam I wrong?â
⢠Orion had always been quite good at sensing othersâ emotions and understanding them as if they were his own. That was one of the main reasons you had fallen in love with him; but you had no choice: you had to stay in your parentsâ good graces, no matter what. And thatâs what you had finally explained to Orion, head bowed.
⢠Your long explanation was punctuated by an equally lingering silence, before Orion spoke again.
⢠"Why do you feel compelled to please your parents, when theyâre barely capable of seeing that their own child has a true gift? Sure, they donât like Quidditch... But is that a valid reason to deprive you of your dream?"
⢠It hit you like a slap in the face. Your entire life, you had strived to be as perfect as possible in your parentsâ eyes... But for what reason, exactly...? They, who were incapable of seeing what truly made their child happy, and who remained stuck in prejudices that were slowly and silently destroying you?
⢠âThey donât deserve you,â Orion had continued, placing a hand on your shoulder. âBut you deserve to become whatever you want to be. And Iâll be there to make sure of it.â
⢠That sentence, which seemed so trivial at the time, had nevertheless stayed with you during the many years that had passed since thenâyears that had been among the most beautiful you had ever experienced.
⢠You had finally decided to listen to your own heart, your own reason; you had become a professional Quidditch player, despite the threats from your own parents, from whom you had heard nothing since. And Orion, true to his own promises, had stayed by your side, and you were now able to live as you saw fit.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
Sirius Black x Potter!Reader - Nothing lasts forever (4/4)
Summary : You and Sirius always knew you would become very special to each other since your encounterâand thatâs exactly what happened. But, unfortunately, nothing is certain in times of war⌠Not even love. Or family.
Words : 3.5k.
Canon deaths, fluff, family reunion, angst with happy ending (?), reader is Harry's aunt and James's sister, reader is female, pregnancy.
English is not my first language. Reading the previous parts is essential to understand this chapter!
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
âWhat are you doing here, Remus?â you had asked in a low voice, your face pale.
It was now far too late to hide Sirius, who was still in his Animagus form, or to pretend you did not know him. Remus had already recognized his old friend, and if you did not want the situation to get any worse, you had to act quickly.
The werewolf, clearly torn by an internal dilemma, remained silent for a long moment before answering in a cautious voice.
"... I didnât tell you because I wanted to surprise you, Cassie, and Harry... But Iâve been hired to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year... I think, however, that you have a lot more to explain than I do," he finished, glancing again at Sirius, who was sitting right next to you, his ears lowered.
"... Yes. We need to talk, Remus. Alone."
You had whispered this quickly, taking your friend by the arm and leading him to a slightly more secluded spot in the station, Sirius following without protest, still in his animal form.
Remus apparently did not know what facial expression to choose; a mixture of fear, anger, disappointment, and incomprehension was written all over his face, despite the fact that, over the past few years, you had told him time and time again that your husband could never have done such a terrible thingâor, if he had, it would have been against his will.
Remus had never really known where to stand on this thorny issue; certainly, he wanted to believe in Sirius, one of his closest friends, but the facts spoke for themselves: all that had been found of Peter was a single finger, and the Potter familyâs secret keeper was supposed to be Sirius himself. No one, not even you, had been informed of the change that had been secretly made at the last moment, and which had led to the deaths of your brother and your best friend; deep down, Remus had always been plagued by doubt.
That was why your lifelong friend had given you a chance to explain yourself, instead of immediately reporting Siriusâs presenceâa prisoner wanted throughout the country. You had isolated yourselves, and after casting a silencing charm around you, you had begun your explanation, while your daughter and nephew chatted innocently a little further away, out of earshot.
âPeter is still aliveâŚ?â Remus finally whispered, unable to fully believe what you had just revealed to himâsomething you understood perfectly well. âAnd⌠he was the keeper of James and Lilyâs secretâŚ?â
The poor werewolf, already exhausted from the previous full moon, was now torn between two versions of the story: the official oneâthe one that made Sirius the culpritâand the unofficial one, the one you had just revealed to him, the one that pointed to Peter as the one responsible for all those deaths. He could not bring himself to believe it.
And yet. Remus trusted you, the only friend he had left; he had always preferred to remain more or less neutral about the whole affair, whether for your sake or your daughterâs, but also for Siriusâs, whom he would have liked to be able to trust completely after what had happened on that sad Halloween night.
You placed a hand on your friendâs shoulder, showing through this gesture that you were just as surprised as he was by this revelation, and that you supported him. Who could have believed that Peter, that shy and slightly awkward boyâbut no less endearing for itâcould have done such a thing...? You yourself had a hard time accepting this reality. But you trusted the man you loved, even today.
âWe have to find a way to bring the truth to light,â you continued in the same hushed tone, despite the silencing charm. "According to Sirius, Peter has been in his rat form ever since he faked his death nearly twelve years ago; he is now said to be living with the Weasley family. There was a photo of them in Egypt with a rat missing a finger in the newspaper."
The coincidence was indeed rather intriguing, even to Remus.
But how were they supposed to prove that Peter was still alive, and that he had been serving as a pet rat all these years...? No one knew about his ability to transform, not even the government.
Beside you, you suddenly heard Sirius start to growl, louder and louder. Just as you turned to see what was causing such behavior, your blood ran cold.
Molly Weasley was walking toward you, all smiles, with a rat perched on her shoulderâa rat you recognized all too well now that it was right before your eyes. Sirius had been right all along.
And Remus seemed to realize this detail as well, since he tensed up completely, his fists clenched.
Unaware of the veritable storm her presence had indirectly unleashed, Molly reached you, passing through the barrier of the Silencing Charm, which functioned like a gigantic bubble, muffling all sounds outside your small group.
You were thus able to hear the red-haired womanâs next words.
âWhat a pleasure to see you again!â she exclaimed to you, while also greeting Remus, whom she had never met before. âAh, excuse me⌠Scabbers! Come back here!!â
The rat she was carrying on her shoulder had just jumped to the ground, clearly overcome by a sudden, visceral terror; further reinforcing the idea that this rat was indeed Peter, and that he clearly had something to hide. How had you managed not to notice anything, when you had already encountered this creature, which was not really an animal at all? Presumably, Sirius was a far better observer than you were, or perhaps he was driven more by his hatred for Peterâhe who knew the truthâwhich had fueled his irrepressible and absolute desire to punish the true culprit. It infuriated you to know that, all these years, the true murderer of your brother and his wife had been so close to you, never daring to reveal himself. What a coward he had been.
Pulling your wand from your pocket, you cast a spell at the rat with the missing finger, which then, before the wide-eyed crowd, began to grow larger and larger, until it reached the size of a rather stocky man; his appearance had changed enormously during all those years spent posing as a pet rat, but you still recognized him nonetheless.
Peter was very much alive; you had been right to believe Sirius all along.
But, despite the fact that this transformation had attracted the attention of many onlookers, it was nothing compared to the one that followedâone you had not had time to anticipate, let alone prevent.
Peter, in desperation, had snatched a wand from a passerby, which was sticking out of the personâs pocket. With a look filled with terror, but also with hope, Peter had in turn cast the spell to restore an Animagus to human form⌠at Sirius.
Inevitably, Sirius regained his human form, and the reaction of those present was immediate.
Some began to scream in horror before hugging their children, as if to protect them from this criminal designated as highly dangerous, while others rushed toward Sirius to surround him, quickly casting a spell to render him unable to move even a single finger.
âSiriusâŚ!â you had shouted without thinking, as you watched your husband being attacked from all sides.
The next moment, you, too, were violently immobilized, while Peter, for his part, took advantage of the commotion to revert to his rat form, before running offânot without waving goodbye to youâwhich only fueled your rage even further.
Was that dirty traitor going to be able to escape once again, leaving a veritable field of ruins in his wake for the second time? No. You could not let that happen; your happiness, your daughterâs, and of course Siriusâs, depended on it. You had barely begun to touch true peace with your fingertips, thanks to his escape from Azkaban; to take it away from you now for the second time, just as he had met your daughter, was far too cruel.
You could not let the other parents summon the Dementors; if that were to happen, it would be the end of Sirius, you knew that all too well. But what could you do, in your condition, unable to speak or move even a single finger...?
âStop!!â cried a voice you knew all too well, sending an even greater wave of dread coursing through you.
Cassiopeia had just run toward you and stepped between her parents and the rest of the crowd.
âMy father and mother have never done anything wrong,â she continued in a loud voice, though it trembled slightly. âDonât call the Dementors; Iâm sure we can prove to you that my parents are innocentâŚ! Donât take them away from me another time, I beg you...â
It was Molly, snapping out of her immense shock at seeing her pet transform into a man, followed by the appearance of the countryâs most wanted criminal, who came over to your daughter to lead her a little further awayâfor which you were grateful. Few people knew that your husband and the father of your child was the much-feared Sirius Black; Molly Weasley, as a close friend of your little family, obviously did, and had immediately understood that protecting Cassiopeia was the most important thing.
Knowing your daughter and nephew were in the care of the Weasley family, whom you trusted completely, you were caught by the Aurors dispatched there, along with Sirius and also Remus, who served as a witness. Thanks to Cassiopeiaâs desperate and emotional intervention, you had been able to prevent Siriusâs immediate and unhesitating execution, for which you were infinitely grateful.
As the Aurors forced you to stand despite the spell that kept you immobilized, you glanced at your daughter, hoping to convey through that simple look that everything would be all right, and that she had nothing to worry about. Seeing her accompanied by her cousin, Harry, as well as the Weasley family, you knew she was safe.
Now, all that remained for you to do was to prove your husbandâs innocence once and for all.
And, for nearly twelve years since then, youâd had plenty of time to think about how to pull off such a feat, though you had not been given the chance to reveal it until today.
-------------------------------------------------
"So you were hiding Sirius Black, an extremely dangerous criminal wanted throughout England and beyond, in your home? Since his escape, I suppose?"
The hours had passed, long and tense, as numerous Aurors took turns questioning you over and over again, without a single break. You had told them everything you knew, now that Sirius had had the chance to explain what had really happened twelve years ago.
Trying to hide part of the story would be of no use to you; being honest was what would allow you to achieve your goal, even if this so-called truth seemed far more grotesque than the story everyone knew.
Sirius Black had never been the Potter familyâs secret keeper; the one who had filled that role was Peter Pettigrew, who had been posing as a pet rat ever since that infamous and tragic October night. So it was Peter who had betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort, and who had subsequently murdered several Muggles, before cutting off a finger and disappearing in his Animagus form; leaving Sirius as the ideal and undeniable culprit for anyone who might have discovered him that night, laughing to himself like a madman, alone; in reality lamenting the true tragedy that had befallen his entire world because of a single decisionâHIS decisionâwhich had led his best friends to their doom.
â...you must agree that this whole story is hard to believe,â one of your interrogators then declared in a firm voice. âWhat evidence do you have to support your version of the story?â
Strapped to the chair you had been sitting on since the start of your ordeal at the Ministry of Magic, where you had been brought along with Sirius and Remus, you could only smile and laugh bitterly. With all the witnesses who had seen Peter return to his human form, did the government still need concrete proof...?
âItâs extremely simple to verify what Iâm saying, what Iâve been repeating nonstop for the past twelve years: Sirius Black, my husband, is innocent. And thereâs a very simple way to prove it.â
You leaned forward as far as your restraints would allow.
"Make him drink Veritaserum, prepared right before your eyes from start to finish. That way, he wonât be able to lie to you for even a single second, and youâll finally learn the truth Iâve been dying to tell you for twelve years. You have nothing to lose, except perhaps some time. But my husband has lost enough of his own, all those years imprisoned for a crime he never committed."
The two Aurors looked at each other for a long moment before deciding to leave the interrogation room, leaving you alone with your hopes and fears. All those years, you had never stopped demanding that Sirius be given a fair trial, and not thrown straight into prison as he had been.
You were perhaps on the verge of realizing that once-unattainable dream of being able to live with those you loved by your side: Cassiopeia, Harry, Remus...
And, of course, Sirius. Unable to spin your wedding ring as you did in moments of distressâbecause of your bondsâyou waited what seemed like hours until someone finally returned to the small room where you were and informed you that a âtruth-findingâ session would finally be held.
Finally, all your cries and tears had been heard.
A few weeks later, after a brief stay in the Ministry of Magicâs special, high-security cellsâwhile you worried about Cassiopeia and Harry, but also about Remus and Sirius, whom you still had not seen since your arrestâ you were taken to another room, of immense proportions yet magnificent, located within the same gigantic building, whose beauty, however, seemed utterly trivial to you compared to what was about to unfold within it.
Knowing that it took a full month for the Veritaserum to be ready, and that its preparation had to be meticulously monitored throughout to ensure its effects, you had to wait all that time in prison, but you knew it would eventually work out for the best; according to the scant information that had reached you, Cassie and Harry had been able to go to Hogwarts for several weeks now, along with Mollyâs children. You would have liked to be able to send a simple letter to your daughter and your nephew, both to reassure them and to hear more from them, but you had not been allowed to do so. You consoled yourself, however, by telling yourself that this separation was not eternal, and that it would lead to a long-awaited kind of deliverance.
You had been forced to sit in one of the available seats, not far from Remus, who seemed more exhausted than ever. Finally, as everyone present held their breath, Sirius was in turn led into the room, escorted by numerous Aurors.
Sirius, too, seemed drained of all energy, but his eyes nevertheless reflected a spark of hope that nearly made you burst into tears.
The Veritaserum, which had been meticulously concocted under the watchful eyes of several Potions Masters and Ministry officials, was finally brought to Sirius, who drained the contents of the tiny vial without a momentâs hesitation.
In a monotone voice, now incapable of uttering even the slightest lie, your husband began by recounting how he had escaped from prison; he was then asked to answer several questions, to verify that the potion was indeed working.
Then came the long-awaited moment.
âSirius Black,â the Minister of Magic asked in a grave voice, though he could not entirely hide his fear in the face of this very peculiar and intimidating prisoner. âWere you at James and Lily Potterâs house the night they were murdered?â
â...I arrived at their house after they were already dead,â Sirius replied in the same monotone, though his eyes were brimming with tears. "Peter Pettigrew was their Secret-Keeper; we had decided this in the utmost secrecy, in order to deceive the Dark Lord. It was Peter who betrayed my friends to Voldemort; and, if I hadnât decided to change my mind at the last minute, they would still be alive today."
The name Voldemort cast a sense of horror and morbid chill over the gathering; but no one could ignore that the words, spoken by Sirius Black, known for the murder of a dozen people, were necessarily true.
"Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and I had secretly become Animagi so we could accompany our friend, Remus Lupin, during the full moons. Peter used those very powers to escape that night of October 1981, after cutting off a finger as evidence against me."
Sirius then locked eyes with the Minister, who flinched slightly, trying to act as if nothing had happened. Everyone, now, was certain that the words that had been spoken were the truest the world had ever heard. And they began to see all their beliefs crumble like a house of cards.
The Minister, along with several Aurors and government officials, then left the room to decide whether to let Sirius Black return to his former life or, on the contrary, lock him up again in Azkaban, knowing this time that he had the ability to transform into a dog. It was a true gamble on his survival that your husband had chosen to take, and you hoped with all your heart that his courage would pay off.
Time dragged on at an excruciatingly slow pace; you kept twirling your wedding ring, terrified. Sirius, for his part, was leaning forward, his face hidden behind his hands, while Remus stood with his arms crossed, one of his legs twitching constantly with anxiety.
Several hours later, the jury had finished deliberating and was finally ready to announce the outcome of the trial.
Your breath caught in your throat as you listened to the final decision.
âWe find Sirius Black not guilty of the charges brought against him twelve years ago,â declared the Prime Minister in a tense, slightly trembling voice. âThe search for the true culprit, Peter Pettigrew, will be officially launched, and compensation for all those years of imprisonment in Azkaban will be offered to Mr. Black as soon as possible. On behalf of the entire wizarding community, I offer my most sincere apologies to Mr. Black, his wife, his daughter, his nephew, and all his friends, who have had to live without their loved one for over a decade."
As he uttered this final sentence, the entire jury bowed in a gesture of forgiveness toward Sirius and you. You had immediately run toward your husband, throwing yourself into his arms and sobbing your heart out. Soon joined by Remus, who could not help but embrace you as well, celebrating through your tears the newfound joy of finally being able to count on the presence of the one you loved by your side.
Admittedly, Sirius had broken the rules by becoming an undeclared Animagus, just like Peter, but this fact had been excused considering all the years Sirius had already spent in jail.
A few days later, Cassiopeia had been specially brought back from Hogwarts to your homeâthe one where you had lived for the previous twelve yearsâto spend some time with this father she had never known except through your stories and photos taken a decade earlier.
On your husbandâs hand shone once again the ring that had been confiscated during his time in Azkaban, as he lifted your daughter into the air, spinning her around, while Cassiopeia laughed heartily. That young girl had so much of James, her uncle, in her, that it took your breath away every time; and Sirius, just like Remus, had not taken long to notice it.
You were certain, however, that neither of them considered Cassiopeiaâor even Harryâa replacement for your brother; they simply saw traces of your late twin in this young girl, in your nephew, who had lost so many years of happiness because of a complete coward, Peter, who was now wanted by everyone in the magical and non-magical worlds.
Your new life was beginning now; and you vowed to do everything in your power to protect this new chance that had been offered to you, while taking great care to punish the true culprits.
For you were sure of one thing: impunity lasts only a time, and sooner or later, one always ends up paying for the horrible acts one has committed.
Main Masterlist - One-Shots List - Headcanons List
